Yema Teams Up with the French Air Force for a Superman Fit for the Sky and the Sea

Yema’s latest release is both an homage to their history as a supplier of watches to the military, and a completely suitable tool watch fit for members of the modern French Air Force. The Superman French Air Force is a, purpose driven, military inspired tool that has a unique appeal for fans of both divers and aviation inspired timepieces. It’s available in both quartz and mechanical versions, making it accessible to watch fans at a variety of price points. Like other watches in Yema’s Superman lineup, it draws on a long brand history but doesn’t sacrifice a modern style or feature set. Let’s take a closer look.

Yema Superman French Air Force

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Black
• Dimensions: 39 x 48mm / 41mm x 50mm
• Crystal: Mineral (quartz), Sapphire (automatic)     
• Water Resistance: 200 meters 
• Crown: Screw-down               
• Movement: Ronda 515 FE (Quartz), Yema MPB1000 (Automatic)
• Strap/bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet
• Price: $399 -$1,199 
• Reference Number: n/a
• Expected Release: On Sale 4/20, ships July

Yema’s ties to the French Air Force date back to the 1970s, when they supplied watches to Air Force Dive Rescuers, who used them during helicopter rescue missions at sea. Eventually, later editions of these watches were used by fighter pilots as well, giving Yema decree over both the sea and air. The new limited edition Superman French Air Force is inspired by this dual role, and has been built to modern military specifications. 

As a sort of pilot/diver watch hybrid, the Superman French Air Force has many of the elemental features of watches in both genres. The high contrast dial with an arrow tipped minute hand nods to aviation, while the timing bezel circular hour markers speak to a diving heritage. Combined together, you have a watch that’s durable, exceptionally legible, and carries with it a certain set of vintage-inspired cues that give it a timeless look.

There are a number of small details that only reveal themselves upon the closest inspection that give the Superman French Air Force a great deal of charm. First among them, and perhaps the most obvious, is the French Air Force insignia, which appears twice on this watch. It can be spotted on the dial at 6:00, and also on the crown, underneath a crystal coating. Less obvious, but extremely well-executed, is the finishing on the hands. The length of the seconds hand and the outside edges of the minute and hour hands have been given a stealthy PVD treatment. Yema refers to these as “military camouflage hands,” and the effect is particularly striking on the shovel-tipped seconds hand. The black PVD finish provides a surprisingly visible contrast against the matte black dial. 

And then, of course, there’s the locking bezel, not an unfamiliar sight by any means on the Superman and something of a Yema trademark. While certainly not a functional necessity for most people (how many times has your dive bezel really been knocked off the mark in real life timing activities?), it adds a distinct flair to the watch and gives it an unmistakably toolish look. Watches, particularly watches with vintage inspiration, are all about transporting you to another time and place, and unique, even if superfluous, addition like a locking mechanism for a dive bezel certainly does the job. 

The Superman French Air Force is available in nearly identical quartz and mechanical versions. In addition to the movements used, they’re differentiated by the type of crystal (mineral on the quartz, sapphire on the mechanical) and case height (the quartz version is 10.8mm thick, and its mechanical counterpart is 13mm). Two case and bracelet finishes will also be produced: a standard stainless steel model has the most obvious vintage inspired flavor, and a black PVD coated version gives the same design a modern twist, and makes those French Air Force insignias pop just a bit more. Yema