This Gorgeous (and Affordable) 1970s Dive Watch Just Got a Major Upgrade

Every component is manufactured and assembled in Switzerland, earning the “Swiss Made” title.

the crown and bezel of a blue Yema Superman Swiss Edition dive watch

Published February 22, 2025

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The Superman was the watch that put Yema on the horological map in the 1960s.

Over half a century later, an aesthetically faithful Superman reproduction is kicking off a new era of elevated production for the French watchmaker.

a steel dive watch with a blue dial — Yema’s Superman Swiss Edition is the brand’s first watch to certified Swiss Made.

“Swiss Made”

The Yema Superman Swiss Edition is the brand’s first watch to earn the coveted “Swiss Made” title. Guidelines are a bit blurry, but essentially, a watch has to be made of components that were created in Switzerland and assembled domestically to claim being made there.

Yema was founded in France in 1948, then bought by Seiko in 1988. It then returned to French ownership and production in 2004.

The company has always maintained a reputation for high production standards. But with the manufacturing and assembly of every component moving to Switzerland, the new Superman dive watch is taking them up a notch.

That 70s watch

The Superman dive watch was introduced in 1963. Design elements have changed over the years, but the signature Superman handset with a pointed hour hand, arrow minute hand and spade-tipped second hand have defined the line from the beginning.

a steel dive watch with a black dial — The Superman hands include a pointed hour hand, arrow minute hand and spade second hand.

Inspiration for the dial, case and bracelet on this faithful reproduction came wholesale from a 1970s model. The dial markings are coated with Grade A Super-Luminova for exceptional clarity in the dark.

a dive watch in the dark with the lume indexes and hands visible — The dial markers are painted with Grade A Super-Luminova.

The polished steel case curves a bit to adhere to the wrist and is streamlined, disappearing behind the bezel at nine o’clock. A curved crown guard protrudes at three o’clock and tucks away at two o’clock and four o’clock.

the signed case back of a Yema dive watch — A coat-of-arms Yema logo is etched into the case back.

One new design element is the ornately signed case back. The brushed metal case gives way to a matte-finish Yema coat-of-arms set against a sandblasted circle.

a steel dive watch with a white dial — The 39mm case size is ideal for smaller wrist sizes.

The Superman Swiss Edition comes in both a 39mm and a 41mm case size, both of which are a svelte 11.3mm thick. Packed inside each model is a Sellita caliber SW200-1 automatic movement, boasting 26 jewels and a 38-hour power reserve.

Tricks up its sleeve

In the 1960s, Yema introduced a patented mechanism to the Superman line called a bezel lock. It is a small metal plate with prongs that lock into the uni-directional bezel’s teeth. It secures and is released by screwing and unscrewing the crown.

a Yema Superman watch print add from 1963 — A 1960s French print ad for the Yema Superman highlighting the bezel lock.

Diving bezels were not spring-loaded and prone to moving with the slightest touch in the 1960s. A bezel lock is antiquated now, but still a fun piece of history to see Yema keep alive on its new marquee dive watch.

The Superman Swiss Edition’s other trick is a diver’s extension on the 316L stainless steel bracelet, which is a fold-out extension that allows the bracelet to fit over a wet suit sleeve on the fly. Other brands use these and they have been around for a long time, but they are still uncommon.

a black dive watch and blue dive watch laying next to each other — The Superman Swiss Edition comes in four color options, including the black and blue pictured above.

When combined with a 300m dive rating, these fun little features make The Superman Swiss Edition a genuine dive watch appropriate for SUBA and freediving. Of course, those activities have far more advanced equipment today, but this beautiful reproduction looks just as good as ever under the waves.

Availability and pricing

The Yema Superman Swiss Edition is available now from Yema and all authorized retailers. It is available in a 39mm and 41mm case, both for the bargain price of $1,190.

It comes in a glossy blue dial and bezel, a glossy black dial and bezel, a matte white dial with a glossy black bezel, and a khaki dial with a glossy black bezel.