The Yema Kavinsky LED Limited Edition

by Michael Satterfield 03/18/2022

I can't tell you how many back roads I have blasted down with Kavinsky's 80s inspired electropop blasting through the speakers. So when I saw that Yema was releasing a collaboration with the artist I was excited. I first heard his music when he was touring with Daft Punk and his albums have all made it into my "driving music" playlist. But the French musician gained wider fame after his song "Nightcall" was featured in the 2011 film Drive, like many performers Kavinsky is a character created by Vincent Belorgey. Kavinsky, the character, is a zombie who died after crashing his Ferrari Testarossa in 1986, only to reawaken as a supernatural hero/antihero in 2006. Each song and music video tells a part of the opera, and for this special collaboration with Yema, Kavinsky added to the story with a new song featuring Cautious Clay, called Renegade.

The watch itself is inspired by the LED watch from the 1970s and 80s and isn't Yema's first LED, in 2020 the watchmaker introduced a re-issue of their original LED watch. But the Kavinsky LED offers a more modern take on the LED watch, enclosing the screen fully within the bezel, small detail lines on the case, and an elegantly tapered bracelet, it has a retro-futuristic feel that just works.

First impressions, the YEMA Kavinsky is finished to a very high standard and feels very good on the wrist, the 35.5mm case wears well and the 10mm thickness is perfect. For those who like a big chronograph strapped to their wrist, it might seem small, but for everyday use, it is comfortable to wear. Due to the end link design, you will have to embrace the bracelet, since you won't be able to swap on any of your standard straps, but for this watch, the bracelet is perfect.

The watch comes in either stainless steel or black PVD, the classic stainless looks vintage, the black PVD is the sublet choice that all but disappears until you press the button illuminating the dial. The red plunger is the only pop of color outside of the red hue of the dial.

Pressing the silver button once will display the time for three seconds. Pressing again for the day and month and a third time displays the running seconds. The red button is how you make cycle through the various modes to set the time and date by pressing the silver button once your selection is flashing. You can also choose between a 12 and 24 clock display.

The watch launches on Kickstarter today, early backers will get the watch for €195 or around $216, a Kavinsky branded canvas outer pouch, a Kavinsky branded vinyl pouch, and a two-year warranty. For those who pledge $245, they will also get a vinyl record signed by Kavinsky.

You can check out the Kickstarter HERE.