Sponsored: Boasting Technical Advancements, YEMA Introduces the Superman 500 (with Hands-on Photos)


First introduced in 1963 as a professional-focused dive watch, the famed YEMA Superman has since become one the established French watchmaker’s most emblematic signatures. In recent years, the brand has worked to expand the collection— introducing an assortment of fascinating heritage and modernly focused designs, experimenting with novel colors and materials, and by extension of its efforts, ultimately ensuring space for the classic sillehoute in the contemporary market.

This month, in its latest revisit to the Superman collection and after two years of dedicated research and development towards its design and manufacturing, YEMA is introducing its latest in the Superman 500. Available in two colorways— including a classic black dial edition and a more modern “Mysterious Blue” option— and two different diameters— 39mm and 41mm— the Superman 500 embodies the best of contemporary YEMA, showcasing the brand’s historical intrigue while pairing it with modern advancements in engineering and mechanical development.

At a glance, the Superman 500 is particularly familiar, featuring that classic Superman aesthetic inclusive of its solid steel diver construction, sharp and tapered lugs, signature bezel lock, and classic dial configuration.

A closer look at the iconic design reveals its notable updates, inclusive of a new joint layout making it possible to adjust the setting of the bezel and bezel lock on the surface of the water, with the unscrewed crown positioning benefiting from a 3 bar (30 meters) water resistance, while the standard water resistance stands professional ready at 50 bar (500 meters).

The bezel clamp itself has also been redesigned to ensure better stability with the crown tube. To do this, the bezel had to be redesigned with additional holes to allow an optimized movement of the ratchet spring and a more precise alignment of the bezel insert. Lastly for the case, the 2.6mm double dome sapphire crystal has undergone a change to make it more resistant while retaining the original DNA of the Superman, with its height reduced by 0.3 mm while widening by 0.6 mm on its outer diameter.

On the dial, YEMA helped the iconic style of the Superman to shine through in the 500. Holding the vintage inspiration as central, the highly legible aesthetic benefits from the color contrasts and various shapes seen via the hour markers, hands, and other details. The signature seconds hand with its “shovel” shape and red dot anchors the design with historical style— its ‘70s influenced sweep passing overhead the 12 o’clock positioned YEMA logo, all while powered by YEMA’s esteemed in-house caliber, the YEMA2000.

On the wrist, the new YEMA Superman 500 is a sporty and versatile stunner, with its professional capabilities paired with classic styling and smart design lending to a seriously impressive modern diver. Undoubtedly, the watch has certainly benefited from the increasing integration of the Franco-Swiss Jura Arc, with YEMA’s growing development with its manufacturing partners surrounding the Morteau workshops there helping ensure overall better quality and more responsible production in its “France” signed timepieces.

The new YEMA Superman 500 is available now, with pricing for the models starting at $1,049 when equipped on a leather strap, $1,190 on a stainless steel band, and ranging up to $1,219 on a rubber FKM Viton band. While the new diver is not limited, the first 200 watches from the series will be engraved with a unique number from 001 to 200.

To learn more, visit YEMA, here.  


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