Battle of the French independents – Yema Superman 500 versus the Baltic Aquascaphe
Fergus NashIt’s no secret that getting into watches is easier now than ever before. Not only is there a wealth of brands to choose from, but the overall quality of more affordable watches is drastically higher than in previous generations. Some of that may just be down to the reduced cost of excellent manufacturing tolerances, but a lot of credit also has to go towards microbrands. The only real downside is that there may be too much choice, as there are hundreds of options for well-built, attractive, affordable watches. So, if you’re on the lookout for a retro-styled dive watch, it’s likely you’d be tossing up between the Yema Superman 500 and Baltic Aquascaphe Classic. Which one should you choose?
To clarify, Yema may or may not be considered a microbrand. Their heritage goes back to 1948, and they even have some in-house manufacturing in France, however they are still culturally a part of the microbrand sphere. Their independent ownership and attainable prices bring that same audience in, as does their relative obscurity before the internet age. Baltic, on the other hand, are a true microbrand, having only been founded in 2016. They also have French roots in their founder Etienne Malec, the name Baltic chosen for his Polish father. Each brand has their own distinctive style, but they share a lot of attributes. Let’s break it down further.
| Brand | Yema | Baltic |
| Model | Superman 500 | Aquascaphe Classic |
| Reference Number | YSUP22A39-AM2S | N/A |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 13.4mm (T) x 48mm (LTL) 41mm (D) x 13.4mm (T) x 49.5mm (LTL) |
39mm (D) x 13mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 500 metres | 200 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black, blue | Black and cream or silver, blue gilt, white |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet, FKM rubber or leather | Stainless steel bracelet, or tropic rubber |
| Movement | YEMA2000, automatic | Miyota 9039, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now | Now |
| Price | US$1,149 (on bracelet) | A$1,200 (on bracelet), from the T+T Shop |
Common ground – comfortable divers with specs to boot
There’s a huge quantity of minutiae you can get lost in when discussing dive watches, especially when people start bringing up ISO standardisations to legitimise or dismiss certain watches. But, when it comes to actually hooking up the scuba tank and taking the plunge, both the Yema Superman 500 and the Baltic Aquascaphe Classic are more than capable. Yes, the Yema may have more than double the water resistance, but the saturation divers who travel that deep are few and far between. Both have screw-down crowns so you can’t accidentally knock the crown open while underwater, and both have a similar amount of luminous paint on the dials.
Comparing the Aquascape Classic with the 39mm reference of the Superman 500, both watches have very similar dimensions. The diameter is the same, and the Yema is only 0.4mm thicker than the Baltic’s 13mm thickness including domed sapphire crystals. The Baltic has a slighter shorter lug-to-lug as well, but only by 1mm at 47mm versus 48mm. As such, the wearing experience should be quite similar, only changed by the flare of the lugs and the width of the bezels.
Where each stands on its own – style, movements, and price
Although both the Yema Superman 500 and the Baltic Aquascape Classic are supposed to evoke vintage watches, their approaches are quite distinct. Firstly, the Superman 500 is actually a modern reinterpretation of the original Yema Superman from 1963. At the time it was a prime example of a skin diver, designed to be slim, stylish, and plunged into the many azure beaches along southern European coasts. Its patented bezel-lock system ensured that your dive timing couldn’t be altered once the crown had been screwed down, and the latest iterations have tightened up the tolerances even more. The dial has a rather flat appearance with printed markers without borders, vintage-style hands which can’t be mixed up, and a simple appeal which is equally attractive in its black or navy blue colour schemes.
The Baltic Aquascaphe Classic also derives most of its design from the 1960s, but better captures some of the 1950s sensibilities which many companies didn’t let go of for a while. The dials are lavish, from the sumptuous sunburst blue gilt reference with its creamy lume to the grainy, asphalt-like texture of the black silver version. The fencepost hands are reminiscent of the original Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and the bezel is also covered with a sapphire layer to replicate the depth of vintage Bakelite. It’s still a tool watch by the same measure as the Superman, but its high-class elements allow it to veer into dressy territory.
A mere five or six ago, you would have found an ETA 2824 (or Seiko NH35) powering both of these watches, but times have changed pretty drastically. Yema have put a huge focus on their in-house movements, playing into their sense of independence which a lot of watch enthusiasts prioritise. The latest incarnation of the Superman 500 uses the YEMA2000 movement, which is designed, developed and assembled in their Morteau workshop, though the brand does not mention where the parts are produced like they do with the higher-end Morteau line. The calibre has a 42-hour power reserve and a beat rate of 4Hz, plus a daily accuracy rate of -/+10 seconds per day. The Baltic Aquascaphe now uses the Miyota 9039, which is a Japanese movement. Although it’s still a budget calibre, the 9039 belongs to Miyota’s premium range and is well-regarded by many enthusiasts. It’s going to be much more affordable to service than the Yema, with very similar specifications such as the same beat rate and power reserve. You could argue that the move from a Swiss to a Japanese movement is an inherent downgrade, but with the Swiss watch industry how it is today, it was a necessary move to prevent the price skyrocketing.
Another important aspect to note is that the Yema Superman 500 is the only one of these two watches to be offered in a larger size. The Baltic Aquascaphe Titanium does measure 41mm, similarly to the larger version of the Superman, however it’s a much more contemporary-looking watch with jumbo indices and a brushed aluminium bezel. The 41mm version of the Yema Superman 500 is just an upscaled edition of the 39mm reference, and that makes it more versatile for customers with large wrists or simply more impactful tastes.
The verdict and my pick
Although the differences in performance may be negligible when the watch is on your wrist, psychology does play a large part in customer satisfaction. Even if your Baltic was more accurate than someone else’s Yema, there would still be a part of the brain which says the Yema must be better because it has an in-house developed movement and 500 metres of water resistance. It’s a question of your personal priorities, however the Aquascaphe is substantially less expensive. At A$1,200 on a steel beads-of-rice bracelet, it’s actually barely changed in price since 2018. That’s an impressive feat for a watch in the post-pandemic boom, even if it has substituted a cheaper movement. At US$1,149 for the Superman 500, it has also hardly gone up from the 2018 version with its ETA 2824. So the price has stayed stable, yet the movement has gotten better.
It’s clear looking at both watches that Yema and Baltic are trying to offer the most for their customers. When considering the price difference, it’s clear that there are no diminishing returns in that range. You do get what you pay for with either, and on a technical level, you’d have to admit that the Yema was the “better” watch. That said, my personal pick would go towards the Aquascaphe Classic. I just find the blue gilt dial too beautiful for the flatness of the Superman to compete, but I can see how the opposite could be true for an enthusiast with different tastes.