The concept of limited editions made by watch magazines is now well established and Worn & Wound, an American magazine founded in 2011, is no stranger to the concept – specifically thought their Windup Watch Shop. What differentiates our US-based friends is a strong focus on value-driven watches and this is reflected in their latest watch collaboration. Based on what’s probably the most iconic French watch of the 1960s, they’ve created a bold, quirky, yet oddly appealing version that caught our attention. Meet the new Yema Superman Maxi Dial Limited Edition for Worn & Wound.
The Yema Superman is among the most collectable and revered watches produced by the French watchmaking industry. First launched in 1963, it had everything you could expect from a professional dive watch, including a respectable 300m water-resistant. Indeed, the French brand developed a feature that would become the model’s hallmark, its bezel’s locking system positioned at 3 o’clock, next to the crown. Over the years, many different editions of the Yema Superman have been created, including the Superman II, which boasted some of the largest dive markers to ever grace a dial, earning it the “maxi” designation. Although the brand fell into oblivion for some years, it resurfaced recently, bringing back its famed diver with accessible, vintage-inspired versions.
Today, Worn & Wound present their take on this quirky model with the Yema Superman Maxi Dial Limited Edition. Deliberately exaggerated and almost aggressive, these oversized markers dominate the dial and give this special version its own personality. There’s a certain military inspiration in this model, reinforced by the two-tone black and dark grey dial with a central crosshair. Finally, to preserve symmetry and accentuate the presence of the ultra-luminous markers, the date has been removed from the dial (and from the movement too).
Yet, there’s more to this Yema Superman Maxi Dial Limited Edition than a different dial. The team at Worn & Wound has also designed a new bezel, with an edge-to-edge black coating and fully lumed scale. Once again, this reinforces the military, slightly modernised theme of this watch, compared to the traditional editions offered by Yema in their Heritage line. The unidirectional bezel, still with the iconic locking mechanism at 3 o’clock, might have a 12-hour scale but can also be used as a diver’s element, with graduations for the first 12 minutes.
Other than these evolutions, this special Yema Superman Maxi Dial retains most elements of the classic model, with a 39mm x 13mm fully brushed stainless steel case, topped by a double-domed sapphire crystal. The watch is water-resistant to 300m thanks to a screw-down crown and caseback. The overall design is rugged and sharp, and the 48mm lug-to-lug will certainly provide relatively good comfort. The watch comes with a stainless steel brushed bracelet, with a folding clasp and diver’s extension. A cool aspect of this bracelet’s design is that the first link after the solid end-link flares out to continue the contour of the case.
Powering this Superman Maxi Dial is the calibre YEMA2000, a proprietary movement designed in-house and made in France. Intended as an alternative to Sellita/ETA and Asian offerings, this automatic movement beats at 4Hz and stores up to 42 hours of power reserve. It is regulated in four positions and has a daily rate within +/- 10 seconds.
Availability & Price
The Yema Superman Maxi Dial Limited Edition for Worn & Wound will be limited to 300 pieces. It is now available for orders through the Windup Watch Shop here, with deliveries expected the first week of March 2021. It is priced at USD 990.
For more details about the Superman, check yema.com.
