THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: YEMA
YEAR: c1970
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 39mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: CORFAM
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
The 1960s and ’70s were truly a golden era for sports chronographs, with numerous iconic models emerging from historic manufacturers such as Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Universal Genève, and Heuer. However, in the shadows of these big names, many smaller brands — such as Certina, Enicar, Eterna, and Yema — also produced exceptional sports chronographs during this time. These watches were built to the same high standards and often featured bolder, more daring designs. In many cases, they’re even rarer today and have gained a cult following among collectors.
Yema was a relatively young brand at the time, founded in 1948 by Henry Louis Belmont, a graduate of the Besançon National Watchmaking School. The brand quickly became a pioneer in French watchmaking. Interestingly, the name “Yema” was chosen through a student competition and has no particular meaning — just a clean, modern-sounding name for a new era.
Here at Fathom, we’re partial to Yema’s daring designs — bold, but absolutely beautiful. We’ve had the Yachtingraf and the Rallygraf in the last couple of months, and the current example, the Sous Marine, is no different. The asymmetrical two-register design is stunning — in particular, the striking “Big Red Eye” minute counter. The dial features a simple black background with a tachymeter scale on the rehaut.
This watch is in fantastic condition. The dial is flawless, aside from some minor oxidation on the left subdial — which only adds to its vintage charm. The case is extremely full and well-preserved. The movement was serviced within the last year and runs perfectly at +3 s/d, 260 amplitude, with a 0.4 ms beat error. We’ve paired it with a set of Corfam straps to complete the look.