Introducing the YEMA Superman Heritage GMT

The newest release from YEMA capitalizes on the current hysteria for watches inspired by soft drinks and superheroes in a smart design that is true to the brand’s tool watch roots. The Superman Heritage GMT takes the Superman Heritage diver as its inspiration, and includes the same locking bezel mechanism that has become YEMA’s calling card. And those bezels? Well, they’re available in a variety of colorways that have proven to have a wide appeal in recent watch history. Let’s take a closer look at the new GMT offering from the French watchmaker.

YEMA Superman Heritage GMT

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Black
• Dimensions: 39mm
• Crystal: Sapphire 
• Water Resistance: 300 meters
• Crown: Screw down with locking bezel feature
• Movement: ETA 2893-2
• Strap/bracelet: Steel bracelet 
• Price: $1,499
• Expected Release: Available for pre-order July 22; shipping in November

The Superman Heritage GMT is a simple multi-time zone watch utilizing the ETA 2893 movement, a caliber that readers of this site and fans of the watches we cover will be quite familiar with by now. As the GMT complication has exploded in popularity over the last few years, this movement has gotten a workout from a host of small brands. A simple “caller” GMT, it allows for the easy tracking of two time zones through an independently set GMT hand (as opposed to a Rolex-style GMT where the local hour hand is jumped in single hour increments as you cross time zones). If you do business in a far off time zone, call relatives overseas frequently, or need some help keeping track of when that stream of the Cricket World Cup is going to start, then this is an incredibly convenient GMT movement. 

The case and dial of the Superman Heritage GMT throw off plenty of vintage vibes, clearly taking inspiration from the most iconic GMT of them all, the Rolex GMT Master. Coming in at just under 40mm in diameter, the case should wear comfortably for most in a size that won’t go out of style. The watch is brushed all around and water-resistant to 300 meters, the same as YEMA’s comparable dedicated dive watch, so this one is well suited for watersports of all kinds.

So, the Superman Heritage GMT is a capable tool watch, with a solid movement, made by a brand with real heritage and a signature style. But the real draw here, and the reason this watch will, I think, be a commercial success, is the bezel variety. The iconic Pepsi and Coke colorways are unobtainium and at a much higher price point in the Rolex world, and the blue/gray Batman-style arrangement is just as hard to come by. YEMA, with this collection, is offering a ton of that style and charm in a much more approachable package, without being a straight up copy. While it’s not a substitute for a vintage GMT Master or a brand new Batman on a Jubilee bracelet (currently selling for nearly twice the five-figure retail price on the secondary market), these watches certainly democratize the general aesthetic, which many will welcome with open arms. That said, each is limited to 100 pieces. So if you want in on YEMA’s take on an icon, act quickly.

The Superman Heritage GMT is available for pre-order now through YEMA’s website, with expected delivery in November 2019. YEMA