The Yema Superman was introduced in 1963 as a diver’s watch rated water resistant to 300 metres. Its defining feature is a patented bezel lock: a bracket with a window at three o’clock clamps the rotating bezel when the screw-down crown is tightened, so the dive start time cannot be knocked out of position. Deployant describes the early bezel as bi-directional and non-clicking, with a Bakelite look and a rectangular box-shaped seconds hand. A vintage example sold by Analog:Shift has a 38.5 mm steel case with oversized crown guards, a blue sunburst dial, tritium-filled stylised hands and an automatic movement with date, its dial marked “990 feet”. The Superman matters because it put the French brand, founded in 1948, on the international stage.

Europa Star writes that the Superman was engineered for professional divers but quickly attracted a wider audience. While Rolex and Blancpain competed over professional divers, Yema marketed the watch to ordinary wearers with themes of adventure in its advertising, and it was sold in the United States under the Le Jour name. Its reputation as an indestructible tool came from service with the French air force, which issued the watch. Many variations followed over the years. Yema itself changed hands several times, belonging to Matra and then to the Hattori Seiko group before management bought it in 2004; since 2009 it has been owned by the French family company Montres Ambre.

Collectors regard the vintage Superman as one of the most characterful French dive watches and a more affordable alternative to Swiss divers of the same era. Europa Star notes that the model is well known among collectors and enthusiasts and remains the brand’s top seller, while dealers highlight the distinctive bezel lock and crown guards as the reasons it stands out. The 2020 Superman Heritage 63, limited to 1,000 pieces in 39 mm and 41 mm with a Sellita SW200-1 movement, reproduced the original look, though Deployant noted its shovel-shaped seconds hand instead of the original box hand. The original 1963 version is no longer produced, but the Superman line is still in production at Yema, including the Superman 500 with the in-house CMM.20 micro-rotor calibre.