The new Yema Wristmaster has arrived. Teased on Kickstarter, this watch has attracted plenty of interest with the launch target of £42,600 or so easily surpassed with £388,000 pledged. Yeah that’s more faith than season ticket holders at Man Utd.

First off, let’s start with that name. Who really wants to be known as a Wristmaster? It’s a bit American Pie for us at NWC mag, but then we buy Chinese watches called Benyar or Guanqin, so let’s move on.

We love that hesalite high dome crystal, which is not only an authentic 60s watch feature, but has the charm of magnifying the edges of the dial. Always a nice touch when the dial is such a stunning shade of blue we reckon.

There’s a stunning Y logo engraved onto the caseback, which again adds that truly vintage touch. Plus we like the spacing on the caseback removal pin slots.  Very er..equidistant, that’s the word.  The vintage leather strap is a finishing touch that fits the overall mood perfectly too.

Finally, we go back to the dial and those big markers with a spot of lume set inside each one. A tiny detail, but it just looks so right. It’s an old school watch in every way and the whole package reminds us of the classic Timex and Tissot/Lanco models from the era. Clean, symmetrical, simplicity writ large. Or in this case, quite small, as the case  width is just 37mm.

There is a beige dial variant, but you know what, it’s too Milky Bar Kid compared to the blue version. Which rocks.

We think the original Wristmaster would have been worn by arch crimefighter n rescuer of damsels Simon Templar, aka The Saint. Although in reality, he sported a Bulova in the classic 60s TV show.

The Yema Wristmaster 2021 is small for a modern watch, but you know what, we can see the appeal of choosing a modest gents watch. You get a timekeeper that is a true homage to the 60s Yema original, but with the Yema 2000 calibre inside, so modern day reliability.

Price starts at £399. More here at Yema’s site.