French watchmaker Yema has been doing some fine work lately, digging deep into its copious design archives to bring forth reissues like the Wristmaster collection and the evergreen Superman. And yet, I feel the brand is at its best when turns out a new model that still fits perfectly within its lineup. They did that with the Urban Field watches I reviewed in May, and they have done it again with the new Yema Sous Marine that I have in hand today.
The Sous Marine is an old model name, but this latest incarnation appears fit and fresh without giving up an ounce of Yema’s familiar Gallic charm. Its case is 41.5mm wide, which is a bit big for 2023 when it seems like every new release is 40mm or under, but it is just 12mm thick, and a trim 46mm long. That last dimension goes a long way to keeping the overall proportions in check, resulting in a sporty yet tidy watch. The lug gap is 20mm, as it should be. I think it looks quite dapper on my 6.75″ wrist.
One would expect a company with the diving heritage of Yema to equip its watches for the task, and, well, one would be correct. The Sous Marine is ready for 300m water resistance (or 990 ft, as it says on the dial). It has a screw-down crown, crown guards, excellent legibility, a flat sapphire crystal, and potent lume. It may look pretty on dry land, but there is nothing stopping you from taking it on your next undersea adventure.
A tour of the case reveals a combination of circular brushing on the top and bezel and mirror polishing elsewhere. The lugs and crown guards are angular, showing crisp edges and clean transitions with nary a bevel nor chamfer to soften them. I like it. Larger watches generally benefit from the visual trick of shaving and polishing the edges to slim things out, but the Sous Marine’s ratio of width to thickness makes it unnecessary. Instead, those sheer sides give us a sharp, athletic form that still appears sleek.
Yema offers blue, green, or black dials and further mixes up the palette with an array of different color aluminum bezel inserts and coordinating rubber straps in blue, green, black, orange, and yellow. This yields five variants, each with a beads-of-rice bracelet option for an additional $100. As you can see, I tested a black/black on a bracelet and a black/orange on the rubber strap.
The dial is a two-level affair but not the typical sandwich with cut-away markers. Instead, applied markers grace the sunray dial (except the green one, which is matte). The cardinal points are oversized, reaching inward to overlap a channel between the inner and outer portions. Numbers corresponding to the remaining hours are printed in the narrow gap in a two-digit format and radial orientation. White bands fill the space in between, repeating the white ring of the chapter ring. It is unorthodox, to say the least, yet wildly successful. The hour numbers are not really necessary, as you already have perfectly legible hour markers, but the whole odd arrangement is a fun detail that gives tremendous character to an already handsome dial.
The handset is brushed and lume-filled with the exception of the second hand, which makes do with just a red tip. I love how the hour hand grazes the sunken hours track, the minute hand extends to the secondary hours markers, and the second hand reaches right out to the white chapter index.
At night, BGW9 Superluminova lights it up, including the bezel markers. Huzzah! Lumed bezel markers make me smile. First, because properly applied lume anywhere on a watch is cool. Second, because an unlumed bezel is really only marginally useful.
Speaking of the bezel, it is a unidirectional unit that moves neatly, offering 120 firm clicks and absolutely no play. I’d call it perfect were it not for its poor grip. The angle insert’s angle allows only a meager edge, which would be fine if it had an aggressive texture but does not. Rather, the grooves are tiny and create rounded corners. A little more tooth would have gone a long way.
The case back is typical Yema, which is to say, tastefully adorned with a beautifully stamped old Yema crest. Behind it, beats a 31-jewel YEMA2000 28.8k bph automatic that is adjusted to +/- 10 seconds per day.
When I reviewed the Yema Superman Skin Diver LE, I praised the appearance of its bracelet and knocked its function as the coffin links did not fold properly at the lugs. My review of the Yema Urban Field gave high marks for appearance, quality, and function, but I felt it was a poor match for the style of the watch. With the Sous Marine, Yema got the balance right. The 20mm beads-of-rice bracelet is well-finished and exhibits the proper period vibes. Unlike some I’ve encountered on cheaper watches, the beads are all individually articulated, the way God and Gay Fères intended. The clasp is neatly engraved, inside and out. I’m a bit let down by the fact that it is a stamped, pressure-fit style and not a push-button release, but that is not a deal-breaker, and it does have a flip-lock and dive extension.
Now, I know regular readers will know my mantra of “always buy the bracelet,” and that holds here as well, but as nice as the watch looks on the bracelet, it really shines on the strap. It’s made of FKM, which is, as far as I’m concerned, the only rubber material worth considering because it’s tough yet supremely comfortable and does not pick up lint. Yema’s is molded to fit snugly against the links, tapers to an 18mm signed buckle, and complements the colorful and sporty nature of the watch. Even the underside is nicely detailed.
The Yema Sous Marine is a delightful watch with a clever mix of vintage and modern elements that will be sure to attract new customers. It sells for $890 on the Yema site, $990 with the bracelet. For more information, head over to yema.com.
