What Yema is known for
French watchmaker founded 1948 in Besancon by Henry Louis Belmont; its 1963 Superman diver and Rallygraf remain signature models, and Yema became the first French watch worn in space in 1982.
Yema was founded in 1948 in Besancon, France's historic watchmaking center, by Henry Louis Belmont, a graduate of the city's National Watchmaking School who set out to build French watches able to compete with Swiss manufacturing. The brand became known for tool watches aimed at divers and aviators; in 1963 it launched two of its most enduring models, the Superman dive watch and the Rallygraf chronograph. A Yema Rallygraf was worn by Formula One champion Mario Andretti. In 1982, Yema became the first French watch brand to go to space when astronaut Jean-Loup Chretien wore one during a Soviet Salyut 7 mission. The Superman and Rallygraf remain in Yema's current catalog, reissued in updated form.
Best for — Superman diver, Rallygraf; Rallygraf racing chrono; Superman locking bezel; Wristmaster micro-rotor
France
Where next
- Prouds — Fiji
- Fukuya — Fukuoka
- Verga 1947 — Milan
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