Diver

 We all are familiar with countless exceptional watches made by the Swiss and Japanese that are dominating the market. Nonetheless, the French also displayed excellence in the fine art of watchmaking with the creation of many beautifully decorated haute horlogerie pieces and complex movements. While YEMA may not be a name that the masses are entirely familiar with, it is a brand synonymous with the production of fine French-made timepieces and an incredibly rich heritage.

Created by Henry Louis Belmont, a graduate from the National Watchmaking School of Besancon, YEMA was founded in 1948 and has been producing fine quality watches since. Along with some household names in the field of watchmaking, YEMA has concentrated on producing mostly emblematic and mechanical timepieces, including sports divers for pilots, racing drivers and underwater divers. Its repertoire includes reviving the YEMA Superman, commonly touted as France's legendary dive watch.

Yema Diver

In the seventies, Yema went on to produce some of the most recognisable chronographs in the world. Word has it that Yema chronographs are often spotted gracing the wrist of Mario Andretti, a highly decorated racing driver with the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship under his belt. He had even crossed the finishing line to claim the champion trophy at the Indy 500 race in 1969 with a Yema Rallye chronograph strapped on.
 
Also, Yema's aviation theme watches - the Flygraf chronographs are crafted in close collaboration with pilot watch enthusiasts and professional pilots to reach the greatest heights in the watch industry. And to cover all of the sports prospects, Yema recently crafted its luxurious steel sports watch segment with the limited edition Yema Wristmaster series. In 2024, Yema continues the trend and introduce a new model under it's diving catalogue, Yema Vintage Diver Ref. YDIV24-AMS.

1960s classic diver dial

Right off the bat, the 316L stainless steel case of the YEMA Diver is heavily inspired from watches from the late 50s to early 60s, integrating a robust design with distinctive elements. YEMA certainly knows all the right formulas to craft one enthusiast-driven vintage-looking mechanical masterpiece, with a case diameter of 39.5mm, a lug-to-lug distance of 46mm and a case thickness of 11.7mm, you can expect the watch to look incredibly sturdy yet flat on the wrist, exhibiting a sporty yet elegant appeal.
 
The case is made to resemble that of a Monnin diver from its brush finishes, slightly chunky, prominent crown guard with polished oversized chamfers. The chamfers in particular come together to create a reflective, high-contrast edge highlighting the transition between surfaces and added depth and dimension to the case. With the finishing extending onto the steel bezel, it features a vintage-aged yellow pip for that slight touch. Accompanied by a hydraulic pressed case back with YEMA's historic coat of arms logo fit with polish and brush finishing, allowing for 200m of water resistance.

MONNIN-Inspired case

The YEMA Diver is reminiscing that of a 1960s classic diver dial. Being slightly sandblasted, it features a matt black dial with oversized Arabic numerals at cardinal positions; 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. Lengthy rectangular hour markers filled inbetween these positions, all of the indices on the dial and pip on the bezel are coated in vintage-like coloured lume. Ensuring vintage elements while maintaining visibility in low lighting.
 
The YEMA Diver is powered by the second-generation in-house Caliber YEMA2000 automatic movement, a stepped-up variation of the MBP1000 Caliber. This magnificent movement yields slightly enhanced precision and durability with optimized components, giving the movement a healthy power reserve of approximately 42 hours. This 29 jewel movement beats at a rate of 28,800 beats per hour with thorough accuracy checks by YEMA watchmakers.

Super-LumiNova Grade A to ensure increased readability

The vertical brushed finishes cohesively extend down to the retrograde 20mm beads of rice stainless steel bracelet. Featuring a set of central links that are closely set together, creating a pattern reminiscent of grains of rice. With a double security buckle with a diver extension, this bracelet is made for quick and easy adjustment while ensuring breathability and comfort.
 
Overall, the Yema Vintage Diver Ref. YDIV24-AMS reveals an interesting take on a 50s-inspired timepiece with an attractive modern design recalling past references. YEMA has been producing some really outstanding watches from their iconic Superman to various stunning collaboration models, however this latest vintage sports watch release has impressed us once again, proving time and time again how amazing the French are at making such phenomenal timepieces.

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