Why YES Watches Deserve Your Attention (and A Slot in Your Watch Box)

When I started collecting watches many years ago, I vividly remember stumbling upon a blog discussing YES and their array of unique and technologically advanced watches. I’m typically not someone who utilizes many of the functions on a watch besides the basic time and date keeping, but when I saw how complicated the dial and modes were on these, I knew I would have to own at least one at some point. Now with two different models in my collection, I wish I could go back and thank the author of that blog for steering me in the right direction all those years prior. For those of you who haven’t seen or heard of YES before, allow me to shed light on them just like that blog did.

A Brief History of the Company

For a more in-depth rundown on how YES came to be, I highly recommend reading the writeup by the brand’s founder himself, Bjorn Kartomten, featured on their website. Here, I want to instead offer some insight on the brand’s models and technological innovations rather than the nuts and bolts of how the brand came to be. As I’m sure you’ve already been able to gather by the included photos thus far, these aren’t your typical three-handers. Throughout YES’ catalog are watches boasting equinox and solstice alerts, lunar phase information, daylight and nighttime readouts and estimates, sun and moon calculators to show lunar data for any locations between the years 2000 and 2100, high and low tide indicators, phase elapse countdown timers, compasses, alarms, one-hand timekeeping, the list goes on and on. It’s certainly not a watch for the everyday desk diver working a 9-5 in a fluorescent bulb-filled office, but it will most definitely be that same collector’s weekend wear when they escape to the woods for a camping trip.

In 2000, the YES WorldWatch was released and instantly became a hit, though it was only purchased by those who could get their hands on the limited supply and, more importantly, afford them. In a 2002 interview with Norwegian publication Østlendingen, Kartomten said, “I had thought that the market would primarily be those slightly spiritual types, but it turned out that the watch appeals to several very professional circles. I sell to scientists, professors, pilots, astronomers, cinematographers, people in the US Army, globetrotters, and people who are interested in the hours of sunlight both in the near future and further into the future. I have also sold some to the space agency NASA, who think it is good to know that the sun is up when they plan to land the future space shuttles.” Since its first model was released, YES has created over a dozen more models featuring even more modes and tools, with the newest YES WorldWatch V7 highlighting a Swiss Made 24-hour quartz movement and improved NASA astronomical algorithms.

The Zulu and Cozmo

While I haven’t had the pleasure of owning the first or most recent WorldWatch, I currently have the honor of looking after the Zulu and Cozmo. Beginning with the first watch to be released of the two, the Zulu was unveiled in 2002 with an MSRP of $795, according to old blogs I was able to scrounge up deep in the annals of the Internet Archive. Similar to its feature-packed movement and capabilities, the watch’s dimensions are certainly not for the faint of heart either. Measuring in at 48mm in diameter, 14mm thick, and with a lug width of 22mm, it’s a watch with a whole lotta wrist presence. My specific variant is made of titanium and incredibly light once on the wrist, but there’s no denying that it’s a statement piece to say the least. I should note that the strong curvature of the lugs does wonders to make this watch fit correctly on my 7” wrist, with the bracelet folding down just at the exact angle where my wrist begins to turn.

Moving on to the Cozmo, this model line was released one year later in 2003. While I cannot confirm the exact initial MSRP, it appears to have been retailed for $395 at the time of Christian Cantrell’s review in 2005. While the Cozmo is quite similar to the Zulu in its functions, the sizing is a more bearable 43mm in diameter and 16mm thick, with a lug width of 20mm. While the 2mm increase in width is noticeable, I personally feel it’s a worthy tradeoff to have a more conservative diameter and thus visually less noticeable wrist presence compared to its predecessor. If I had to pick my favorite between the two, the Cozmo feels like a more sensible choice simply because of its proportions. Both these models were offered with bracelets, resin straps, and leather straps when initially launched. I always tend to wear my watches on bracelets, but I must give credit to the durable and premium quality of both the other strap options.

Why I said “Yes” to Owning YES Watches

After purchasing both the Zulu and Cozmo, I was inclined to sit down and read through the 50-page manuals included with each respective model. Having gotten through most of the text and parsed through the detailed descriptions of data, science, and technology packed into these watches, I realized that I would most likely never utilize all the functions these pieces had to offer, making me rethink my decision to finally bite the bullet and get a YES watch after all these years. I then went to their website and began looking through the pages of information, data sheets, and detailed accounts of how each watch was created, what spare parts are offered, and the time spent upkeeping the brand’s image and history.

It was then I stumbled across a brief paragraph on the now obsolete Classic Titanium Collection page that really stuck with me: “In the Fall of 2017, we sold the last of these original round face titanium watches. An Inca N203.4 was the last one out the door. A chapter had closed. Life has no rewind button, but we will service them for years to come. There are no more virgin modules left but we do have spare cases and back plates. Contact us directly if you are interested in these for repair or replacement.” A brand showing this much dedication to serving its customers and keeping them happy years after purchasing their watches is a feat not often seen in our world of impersonal corporate consumerism. The personal touch of “a chapter had closed. Life has no rewind button, but we will service them for years to come” made me realize that I didn’t just buy two watches, I acquired two pieces of technological history that far outpower the dozens of other pieces in my collection crafted by brands that are revered far more than YES has ever been.

While this quasi-review, quasi-PSA only skims the surface of the capabilities put forth by the Zulu and Cozmo, I hope it paints an accurate depiction of why I think these watches and YES are important and worthy of consideration. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go check on when the sun will rise on April 17th, 2092, for no reason at all other than to prove that I can.

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