Is there ever a bad time to release a vintage-style diver? I say no. I have a near-insatiable appetite for 1960s fashion and industrial design, and given that watches represent a marriage of the two, I consider them the perfect vehicle for that aesthetic. So it was with great enthusiasm that I tried the Yema Superman Skin Diver. Yema is taking $1,249 pre-orders on its web store now for late July delivery. I got to go hands-on with a prototype for this review.
If you don’t know Yema, you should. The French brand has been in the business since 1948, and since that time, its watches have been worn by divers, explorers, fighter pilots, Formula One drivers, and astronauts. As such, they have a rich history on which to draw. To my eye, today’s 300m Superman Skin Diver LE is one of the nicest.
My first impression of the watch was how slim it looks. I am fascinated by the way design choices can alter our perception of an object’s size and proportion. This visual wizardry is of utmost importance in watch design, where the difference between success and failure can be measured by millimeters. The Superman employs one of my favorite tricks: a skinny lug-to-lug bridge surrounding the cylindrical barrel of the watch head. It makes for a lean profile while emphasizing the height of the bezel as if it were on a stage. It is most striking when viewed from the right profile, where you can appreciate the points on the guards framing the signed and polished crown. That crown is the only dash of brightwork on this watch. All other surfaces feature fine longitudinal brushing, further enhancing the lean and long silhouette.
This review sample is 41mm wide, 49.5mm long, and 13.2mm thick, with 20mm between the lugs. These are nice dimensions, and as I noted above, the watch presents itself as thinner than 13mm. That said, I discovered it wore a little big on me. This is due partly to my 6.75″ pencil wrist and because the bracelet links (more on that soon) didn’t fold quite as much where they met the top end links as they did at the bottom.
When I popped it off the drilled lugs and fitted a tropic rubber strap (Yema offers one, although I did not have it in hand), it sat much more comfortably. Big and sporty, to be sure, and not oversized, but still not ideal for me.
So are the small-of-wrist left out of the Superman’s goodness? Absolutely not. Yema offers the watch in a 39mm wide, 48mm long case too, and with more period-correct 19mm lug spacing to boot. That is likely the one I’d go for, but it is nice to see that they have something for everyone.
One of the signature elements of the Superman is its unique bezel lock, a clever bracket with a window that sits just inside the crown. Unscrew the crown, and it releases the bracket, allowing you to move the unidirectional bezel through its 120-clicks. Bezel action is satisfyingly firm. I did notice a touch of wobble, but of course, once you screw down the crown, the lock takes care of that. Arguably, the unidirectional mechanism makes the lock redundant, but who cares? It is the sort of novelty that makes retro design so much fun.
Speaking of retro, please take a moment to enjoy the view through that double-domed box crystal. A sensuous curve and crazy edge distortion will always make me smile. I usually lobby for acrylic on vintage-inspired pieces, but this one is 2.6mm millimeters of sapphire, and I can’t argue with that utility, especially when it preserves the right look.
So, let’s have a look at that dial, shall we?
No, not that dial. That one is from 1963, but as you can see, the new watch is faithful to the original, right down to the stylized numbers and arrow minute hand. There are some differences, to be sure. For instance, the markers are slightly larger all around and extend right into the minute track, but all in all, it does its mid-century ancestor proud.
Unlike the original, this one wears vintage-color C3 SuperLuminova framed in white that looks fantastic against the glossy black dial. The beige lume conveys the idea of a nearly 60-year-old watch, but without the accompanying degradation in brightness. It glows strong, and those hands and markers offer a large surface area, so nighttime dial visibility is excellent. The bezel, not so much.
Now about that bracelet. Those flat coffin links make it an eye-catching piece. Yema called them scales in the 60s, and it is easy to see why. They give the bracelet a lovely flow and even allow some twist without any looseness or rattling.
The 20mm unit on this larger watch tapers to 18mm at the signed flip-lock clasp. It’s a friction lock, not a push-button release, but it does offer four micro-adjustment positions and a handy wetsuit extension. The engraving on the inside is a nice touch. I love the look and feel of the scales bracelet; I only wish I had found a way to convince that first row of links to fold as easily as the ones below.
The case back is decorated with a deeply cast Yema crest engraved with the usual specifications – in French, of course. While not shown here, the final models will also include the serial number. Beneath it beats a 28.8k bph Sellita SW 200-1, 26-jewel automatic. I’ve encountered this 2824 clone in several of my watches and have found it to be a trouble-free unit.
All in all, the Superman Skin Diver LE is a lovely piece that successfully replicates the charm of the original while providing modern tool watch utility. My biggest issues came down to size and, as such, can be remedied by simply ordering the 39mm version. Just think, if you order it now, you might have it on your wrist in time for that late August reef diving vacation. I highly recommend it. Head over to Yema.com for more.
