Yema: The Legacy of French Watchmaking

by Brent Robillard

Mention the legacy of French watchmaking and you might first think of the high-horology maisons nestled near Paris or the microbrand darlings making waves in Besançon today. But for decades, one name towered above them all in terms of popularity, production, and sheer cultural resonance: YEMA.

Founded in 1948 and producing over two million watches per year by the 1970s, YEMA was once the undisputed king of French watchmaking. Its iconic Superman diver was a favorite of both amateur adventurers and professional military divers. Its Rallygraf chronographs captured the hearts of motorsport enthusiasts. And its digital innovations, like the LED-equipped Spationaute models worn by French astronauts, propelled the brand into literal orbit.

But as with so many mid-century success stories, the Quartz Crisis arrived like a tidal wave—reshaping, reducing, and, in some cases, erasing the landscape. YEMA didn’t vanish, but it faltered. The brand passed from hand to hand, sometimes lovingly, sometimes less so.

And yet, here we are in 2025, with YEMA not only surviving but thriving—producing in-house movements, expanding into neo-vintage territory, and proudly waving the tricolor flag of French watchmaking.

This is the story of YEMA: how it rose, fell, and rose again.

From Besançon to the Big Leagues

YEMA was founded by Henry Louis Belmont, a graduate of the National Watchmaking School of Besançon—the spiritual and geographical heart of French horology. Legend has it that the name “YEMA” came from a student contest, where a 12-year-old imagined it in a dream. Regardless of origin, the brand quickly became a household name in post-war France.

By the 1960s and ‘70s, YEMA had become the largest watch manufacturer in the country, producing an estimated 500,000 to 2,000,000 watches annually depending on the source. These were not just dress watches or ladies’ novelties—they were robust, high-utility timepieces worn by skindivers, rally drivers, and pilots alike.

Highlights of the era include:

The YEMA Superman (1963): A professional-grade dive watch with a unique bezel-locking mechanism, now one of the brand’s most beloved heritage reissues. [Link to your Superman review]
The Yachtingraf and Rallygraf (late 1960s): Regatta timers and racing chronographs that rode the wave of 20th-century sporting culture.
The Spationaute series (1982–1993): The first French watches worn in space, onboard the Soviet-French missions to Mir and beyond.

Crisis and Change: Quartz, Seiko, and Uncertain Years

When the Quartz Crisis hit in the 1970s and ‘80s, YEMA—like many European brands—struggled to keep up with the influx of affordable and precise Japanese watches. The company was sold in 1988 to Seiko, which maintained the brand primarily for the French domestic market, and introduced a number of quartz models under the YEMA name.

While this period is often viewed as a creative lull, it kept the brand alive. And for French watch lovers, those ‘80s and ‘90s quartz models still evoke plenty of nostalgia today.

Eventually, Seiko sold the brand in 2005 to Louis-Eric Beckensteiner, who attempted to revive some of YEMA’s classic lines. But it wasn’t until 2019, when the French watchmaking group Montres Ambre acquired YEMA and returned production to Besançon, that the brand began its most impressive resurgence to date.

The Modern Revival: In-House Calibres and National Pride

Today, YEMA is very much a brand reborn—still rooted in its history, but innovating for the future.

In-House Movements

One of the biggest moves came with the launch of the MBP1000 calibre in 2019, an automatic movement developed entirely in-house. It was later joined by more advanced calibres such as the YEMA2000 and YEMA3000 GMT, offering a French alternative to Swiss and Japanese automatics. The latest, and most creative innovation, is the brand’s micro-rotor: the Calibre CMM.20.

YEMA Calibre CMM.20 — CMM.20 @thecalibratedwrist

Neo-Vintage Excellence

Modern reissues like the Superman 500, Rallygraf, and Navygraf have been celebrated for their attention to vintage details while offering thoroughly modern specs (200m+ water resistance, sapphire crystals, upgraded lume, etc.).

The YEMA Rallygraf — YEMA Rallygraf @thecalibratedwrist

Military Partnerships

YEMA has also leaned into official partnerships with the French Air Force, Navy, and even the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), reinforcing its status as France’s “tool watch” brand of record.

YEMA Superman FAF Military collaboration — YEMA Superman FAF Search and Rescue @thecalibratedwrist

Sustainable Manufacturing

In keeping with modern sensibilities, the brand has committed to sustainable sourcing, reducing plastic use in packaging, and producing cases and components locally in France.

A Legacy Reclaimed

In a watch world often dominated by Swiss giants and flashy newcomers, YEMA’s revival is a welcome reminder of the quiet resilience of heritage brands. It hasn’t always been easy, and not every move has been met with unanimous praise—but there’s a sense that YEMA is once again charting its own course.

For French watchmaking, that matters. For fans of tool watches with authentic lineage, it matters even more.

And for The Calibrated Wrist, it means more stories to tell. Vive la renaissance.