How the Yema Superman Swiss Edition will make Yema more French

Buffy Acacia

It really isn’t easy to exist as a watch brand outside of Switzerland, no matter how close you are to the border. Yema has been proudly and vocally French for the vast majority of its existence, save a brief period of Seiko ownership between 1988 and 2004. So, what could lead Yema to outsource its signature Superman dive watch to the Swiss? Truthfully, it’s a small sacrifice that should vastly increase Yema’s in-house movement manufacturing capacity for the likes of the CMM.20 movement. Less emphasis on assembly and testing at Yema’s Morteau HQ means more resources will be spent manufacturing and developing more French calibres for French watches.

If you look into the various laws that govern what can be called French and Swiss Made, you’ll find that they’re often much more generous than the label itself would seem. For example, let’s take a look at the Yema Superman CMM.10 as it currently exists in the catalogue. Although the movement is made in-house and the whole watch is assembled, calibrated, and quality-controlled in Yema’s Morteau workshop, all of the other components including the case, dial, and hands are already being made in Switzerland. So really, the only thing changing is the location of the assembly and the movement within.

The case

As established, the case of the Yema Superman has been manufactured in Switzerland for years already. It’s a faithful recreation of the Superman reference 53.00.16 from the 1970s, ensuring it delivers on that quirky ‘70s skin diver look. Well, it delivers that in more than just looks. Available in 39mm or 41mm diameters, it has vintage skin diver comfort thanks to a case that is 13.5mm thick including the double-domed sapphire crystal. Without it, it’s just 11.3mm, and the lugs themselves are considerably thinner than the rest of the case, reducing visual bulk on the wrist significantly.

The shape is perky and angular, with neatly clipped lugs and a thin polished chamfer running along the edges of the case. The crown guards are also extremely prominent and pointy but still give you enough room to grab the crown. Screwing the crown down locks in a significant 300 metres of water resistance, but also secures the bezel lock feature which prevents the aluminium-insert, dive time bezel from being shifted accidentally.

The dial

The dial of the Yema Superman Swiss Edition is actually different to the Superman CMM.10 in a few ways. First, the four dial colours of black, blue, white, and beige are all matte in texture rather than brushed for a sunburst effect. This cements its identity as more of a utilitarian watch than a flashy piece, but it’s still elegant enough to be versatile. The black model has cream-toned Super-LumiNova which leans into the vintage vibe, and those hour markers are printed rather than applied as on the older Superman Gilt CMM.10 versions.

The blocks at 3, 6, and 9 with dots elsewhere as hour markers is a difficult look to make feel unique thanks to the dominance of the Rolex Submariner, but the large, inverted triangle at 12 works with the big arrow minute hand to create an aesthetic that’s unmistakably Yema. The new watches have also brought back the traffic light pointer on the seconds hand, complete with an attention-grabbing red spot. The only other change you’re likely to notice is the “Swiss Made” below 6 o’clock in place of “Manufacture Française”.

The movement

So, which movement is replacing Yema’s in-house CMM.10 with a 70-hour power reserve? It’s the Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1, of course. Downgrading the power reserve to 38 hours is certainly rough for those who enjoy swapping their watches out in a regular rotation, however, the average consumer wanting to wear their watches most days of the week won’t have a problem with that. The beat rate is still 4Hz, and both the reliability and performance of the SW200-1 are beyond dispute. Sellita has been replacing ETA quickly for good reason, and its reputation only continues to rise. The other benefit of a Swiss off-the-shelf movement in lieu of an in-house French one is that servicing will be much more affordable in the long run, and you won’t need to feel as nervous when the warranty runs out.

The bracelet

Yema’s Superman bracelet has undergone a lot of change over the years, but the Swiss Edition yet again aims for vintage accuracy. Twin tracks of polished links run parallel to each other down the bracelet’s length as it’s flanked with wider brushed links, and it really does look like it could be new old stock from the 1970s.

Just like the case and dial, it’s a look that’s dated but functional in an appealing way, full of retro funk. The clasp has four holes of micro-adjustment as well as a diver’s extension should you want to wear it over a wetsuit. It’s just a pressed rather than a milled clasp, but that also helps keep costs down.

The verdict

There are bound to be many conflicting opinions about this decision from Yema, as some could argue that the move would have been to invest more in case and dial manufacturing within Morteau for a 100% French package. However, I do believe that this was a smarter choice for Yema’s long-term goals. With so many components manufactured in Switzerland already (just 70km away from the Morteau workshop), reducing the strain on Morteau’s workflow will allow its core strength of movement manufacturing to grow even more. A US$600 price reduction from the CMM.10 is also a fantastic incentive for those who were interested in Yema but may have had reservations about entering the world of independent manufacture movements.

Brand	Yema
Model	Superman Swiss Edition
Case Dimensions	39mm (D) x 13.5mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) 41mm (D) x 13.5mm (T) x 49mm (LTL)
Case material	Stainless steel
Water Resistance	300 metres, screw-down crown
Crystal(s)	Sapphire
Dial	Black, blue, white, beige
Bracelet and strap	Stainless steel bracelet
Movement	Sellita SW200-1, automatic
Power Reserve	38 hours
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds, date, unidirectional diving bezel
Availability	Now
Price	US$1,190