YEMA SOUS MARINE AUTOMATIC FULL SET

Yema’s history is a fascinating tale of resilience, innovation, and French pride that spans over seven decades. Born in the cradle of French watchmaking, this independent manufacturer has weathered the industry’s ups and downs, from the quartz crisis to changes in ownership, to emerge in the 21st century as a benchmark for tool watches and vintage design. With a motto that says it all, “Time of Heroes”, Yema has accompanied explorers, military personnel, astronauts, and racing champions in their most extraordinary feats.

Origins and Foundation

Yema’s story begins in 1948 in Besançon, the former capital of French watchmaking, under the guidance of Henry-Louis Belmont, a watchmaker who graduated at the top of his class in 1931 from the National Watchmaking School of Besançon. Belmont had risen to the position of technical director at the local Lip movement factory but decided to strike out on his own. To christen his new brand, he organized a school contest to find a name that sounded as Greek as possible and had not been used before, thus giving birth to Yema.

From its beginnings, Belmont specialized in designing and manufacturing highly capable tool watches, equipped with features for extreme activities such as diving, car racing, and military expeditions. In 1951, he took a bold step by equipping most of his watches with one of the first automatic movements, the LORSA 237 B, later rebranded as YEMA 231 A. By 1953, Yema was one of the first brands capable of producing diving watches that could withstand depths of up to 100 meters, a true revolution for the time. By 1954, annual production reached 130,000 watches.

The Birth of Icons: Superman, Yachtingraf, and Rallygraf

The 1960s marked the golden age of Yema and the birth of its most iconic models. In 1962, the brand was renamed YEMA INTERNATIONAL, and between 1965 and 1968, it became the first French watch exporter, selling 400,000 units per year to over 55 countries.

In 1966, Yema launched the Yachtingraf, a chronograph equipped with a Swiss ETA Valjoux caliber and an innovative countdown timer for regatta starts, for which it obtained a patent. In 1968, the brand became the Official Supplier of the French Sailing Team and presented a specimen to the legendary sailor Eric Tabarly. That same year, the Rallygraf was born, an automotive-themed chronograph that would become a classic.

But the model that would catapult Yema to legendary status was the Superman, launched in 1963 and patented in 1967. This diving watch featured an innovative proprietary bezel locking mechanism, one of the world’s first, which prevented the rotating bezel from moving accidentally during dives. With a water resistance of 300 meters, the Superman became France’s first mass-produced diving watch with that capability, earning the nickname “the ultimate French diver” in history. In 1970, the Superman was chosen by the French Air Force to equip their Search and Rescue swimmers (SAR), an elite unit specialized in aerial rescue operations in hostile environments.

Yema’s sporting consecration came in 1969 when the legendary driver Mario Andretti, considered by many the greatest racing driver in history, sported a Yema Rallye during his historic victory at the Indianapolis 500. Andretti wore the watch throughout the month of May of that year, during practice, qualification, and the race, turning it into a sentimental talisman.

The Space Age and Collaboration with Richard Mille

The arrival of quartz watches in the early 1980s caused a upheaval in the industry. Yema teamed up with Matra Horlogerie, a French public-private industrial conglomerate. International development was then entrusted to a promising young man, a future big name in the global watchmaking industry: Richard Mille.

On June 24, 1982, French astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien departed from the Baikonur base for a 10-day trip to space. On his wrist, he wore the first watch from Western Europe sent to space, the Yema Spationaute I. In 1985, the Discovery shuttle took off with Patrick Baudry and his Spationaute II aboard for the STS-51G mission, the first Franco-American orbital flight.

In 1986, under Richard Mille’s direction, Yema designed the North Pole, a titanium tool watch capable of withstanding extremely cold polar air, equipped with a bezel featuring a compass insensitive to intense magnetic fields. This model accompanied doctor and explorer Jean-Louis Étienne on his solitary 800 km journey to the North Pole.

The Seiko Era and the Renaissance under Ambre France

On December 10, 1986, Hattori-Seiko Co Ltd became the majority owner of Yema, a period under Japanese management that would last until 2004. During these years, the design language of some iconic models, such as the Superman II, was influenced by certain Seiko codes. Space exploration continued with the Spationaute III, powered by the renowned Seiko 7A38 caliber, which accompanied Jean-Loup Chrétien on his mission to the MIR space station in 1988.

In 2004, Louis-Éric Beckensteiner acquired the brand, and in 2009, Yema was acquired by Ambre France, a French family watch group based in Morteau, the cradle of French watchmaking, where the brand’s current headquarters are located.

The Current Manufacture and Own Movements

Under the direction of the Bôle family, now in its third generation with Christopher Bôle at the helm, Yema has embarked on an ambitious path to integrated manufacturing. In 2011, the brand invested 3 million euros in developing its first in-house caliber, the MBP1000, of which over 250,000 units were produced in a decade.

In 2021, Yema launched the YEMA2000 (three hands) and YEMA3000 (GMT) calibers, which improved precision and durability. In 2022, the brand took a decisive step by internalizing much of its production, installing state-of-the-art machinery in its workshops in Morteau. In 2023, Yema introduced its new in-house calibers, the CMM series (Caliber Manufacture Morteau), equipped with Swiss regulating organs while the plates and bridges are manufactured in-house.

The CMM.20, introduced in 2023, was the first French micro-rotor in history. It was followed by the CMM.30, a tourbillon caliber with moon phase complication, and in 2024, the CMM.10 arrived, an automatic three-hand caliber with chronometric precision (-3/+5 seconds per day) and a 70-hour power reserve. Concurrently, in 2025, Yema has announced a new Swiss-Made line with Sellita movements, maintaining its commitment to offer accessible watches.

Yema Today

Today, Yema is the official partner of the French Air Force, the French Navy, and the French Space Agency (CNES). Its catalog is structured into collections that reinterpret its historic models with contemporary technology:

• Superman: The iconic diving collection, with resistances of up to 500 meters, patented locking bezel, and in-house movements.

• Rallygraf: The automotive-inspired chronograph, available with mechanical and meca-quartz movements, following the path of the model worn by Mario Andretti.

• Yachtingraf: The nautical chronograph with countdown for regattas, reviving the spirit of the 1966 model.

• Navygraf: The military-inspired line, developed in collaboration with the French National Navy.

• Flygraf: The aviation chronograph with circular slide rule, heir to the 1970 model.

• Wristmaster: The classic wristwatch line, featuring designs evoking the 1950s and 1960s.

Conclusion

The story of Yema watches is a testament to exceptional resilience and an unstoppable passion for tool watchmaking. From Henry-Louis Belmont’s workshops in Besançon to the integrated manufacture in Morteau, through space missions, polar expeditions, and victories in Indianapolis, Yema has successfully combined French watchmaking tradition with technical innovation and timeless design. For watch enthusiasts, a Yema is not just a watch: it’s a piece of exploration history, a companion that has proven its worth in the most extreme conditions and has, after decades of twists and turns, regained its rightful place in the firmament of world watchmaking.

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