Yema Sous-Marine Watch — French Diver (1960s)
Only 1 available
Shipping from Europe — taxes and customs duties are the buyer's responsibility outside the EU
Lifetime authenticity guarantee
Movement checked & guaranteed for 1 year
International shipping
Photo taken on a 17.5 cm wrist
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Atelier Note
A black notched bezel, a deeply rich blue, numerals cut to be read underwater — the diver Besançon set against Switzerland in the 1960s.
A Sous-Marine from the sixties, diving the française way
This watch is a Yema Sous-Marine, produced in the 1960s in Besançon — the française watchmaking capital, where Henry Louis Belmont founded Yema in 1948 and made it the great française sports watch house. The Sous-Marine is its period diving line: the skin diver in the française style, contemporary with the first Swiss dive watches and sold to a generation of swimmers.
The midnight blue dial carries its entire vocabulary: large luminous numerals and indexes, cut for underwater legibility, with a cream patina, punctuated by red dots at the minutes; the YEMA Sous Marine signature beneath the Y emblem; the ANTICHOC marking; and an uncommon combination on a dive watch — sub-seconds at six o'clock and a date window at three o'clock. The black notched rotating bezel, graduated for sixty minutes, frames the whole; the Crystal domed acrylic tops it in a dome.
The tonneau steel case, measuring 36.5mm with broad lugs, is the decade's classic skin diver format. In the interest of full transparency: the dial, very crisp for its age, may possibly have been restored during the life of the watch — we cannot certify it as original, and we prefer to tell you so.
The hand-wound mechanical movement — caliber to be confirmed upon opening — has been checked by our partner watchmakers and is guaranteed for one year. The watch is fitted on a later black smooth leather strap.
Three points to note
01
The française diver of the sixties — the Sous-Marine by Yema, a Besançon skin diver with a rotating bezel.
02
Sub-seconds and date — an uncommon combination on a dive watch, beneath an acrylic dome.
03
Total transparency — a possibly restored dial, stated exactly as such: you are buying in full knowledge.
Why choose a vintage Yema?
This vintage Yema watch holds a precise place among men's and women's vintage watches: its tonneau of 36.5mm can be worn by either, and the française dive watch is a rapidly rising collecting territory — Yema, successfully relaunched, sees its period pieces sought after by a clientele looking for the sixties skin diver without Swiss price levels. The Sous-Marine is its most authentic expression.
Like all our vintage mechanical watches, this one has been opened and inspected by our partner watchmakers: movement verification, examination of the dial, hands and case. Every vintage watch we offer comes with an Atelier Victor invoice Atelier Victor serving as a certificate, a one-year guarantee, and guaranteed lifetime authenticity.
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Technical specifications
- Brand: Yema
- Model: Sous-Marine
- Estimated year: 1960s
- Origin: France (Besançon)
- Gender: Men's and women's watch (Unisex)
- Movement: Hand-wound mechanical
- Functions: Hours, minutes, sub-seconds, date
- Case: Steel, tonneau shape, black notched rotating bezel, steel caseback
- Diameter: 36.5mm (39.3mm with crown)
- Lug to lug: 42.7mm
- Thickness: To be confirmed
- Lug width: 18mm
- Crown: Steel, fluted, original
- Dial: Midnight blue, patinated luminous markers, red dots, sub-seconds, date — possibly restored
- Hands: Steel with luminous channels, original
- Crystal: Domed acrylic (condition 7/10)
- Strap: Smooth black leather, non-original
- Buckle: Pin buckle, non-original
Condition and guarantee
- Overall condition: Good state of preservation. The midnight blue dial is crisp, with cream-patinated luminous elements and vivid red dots — its sharpness for its age leads us to note that it may possibly have been restored during the life of the watch, though we cannot certify this one way or the other. The case and notched bezel show signs of wear, visible in our photographs. Crystal acrylic with marks, rated 7/10.
- Water resistance: Not guaranteed (vintage watch)
- Authenticity: Lifetime guarantee
- Mechanical: Mechanical movement inspected, guaranteed for 1 year
- Included: Atelier Victor invoice Atelier Victor
- Not included: Original box and papers
Frequently asked questions
Who is Yema?
The great house of the sports watch française, founded in 1948 in Besançon by Henry Louis Belmont. Its lines from the 1960s and 1970s — Sous-Marine, Superman, Rallygraf — equipped swimmers, drivers, and French military personnel, and the brand, revived since then, now reissues these designs. Period examples, like this one, are those sought after by collectors of French vintage.
Is the dial original?
We cannot certify it, and we prefer to tell you so: its remarkable sharpness for sixty years leads us to consider a restoration during the watch's lifetime — a common practice on dive watches, whose dials suffered from water. Nothing allows a formal decision one way or the other; the watch is described and offered accordingly, and our photographs show it as it is.
What is the rotating bezel for?
To measure elapsed time without calculation: align its marker with the minute hand at the start — of a dive, cooking, or parking — and read directly the minutes elapsed on its scale. It is the founding instrument of dive watches, here in its original black notched version, bearing the marks of its years.
How do you wind a hand-wound watch?
Turn the crown gently clockwise, around twenty turns, until you feel resistance. Never force it beyond that point. Daily winding, at the same time of day, is enough to keep the watch running and ensures it the best regularity. As its original water resistance can no longer be guaranteed, this period dive watch must no longer be taken diving.
Is this piece suitable for a slim or larger wrist?
With a diameter of 36.5mm and 42.7mm Lug-to-lug, it suits wrists of approximately 15.5 to 19cm — a guideline, never a rule: everyone wears what they like. Its tonneau with wide bezel carries the presence of a period dive watch. The Lug width measures 18mm, making it easy to change the strap — a tropic or a nato would suit it just as well as leather.
Mechanical warranty — 1 year
Each watch is inspected by our watchmakers before shipping. In case of a mechanism malfunction during the first year, we cover the repair.
Authenticity warranty — lifetime
If a watch turns out to be non-authentic, we will take it back and refund you in full. Without time limit.
What is not covered
- Exposure to water or humidity
- Shocks, impacts, or vibrations
- Consumable parts (strap, Crystal, crown, pushers)
- Battery replacement (quartz movements)
- Opening or disassembly of the watch by a third party
- Improper use
The accuracy of vintage watches varies according to the model, movement, and year of production. A request for accuracy improvement deemed within acceptable tolerances cannot be covered by the warranty.
Shipping fees
After-sales service is free. Shipping fees outside the United Arab Emirates remain the responsibility of the customer.
Authentication Process
Each watch is examined by our partner watchmakers before being offered for sale: verification of authenticity, checking the conformity of the components, identification of any modification or replacement of original parts.
If any element has been replaced during the life of the watch (dial, hands, crown, Crystal, strap), we systematically indicate it in the product sheet. You buy knowing the exact history of your piece.
Certificate of Authenticity
Your Atelier Victor invoice serves as a certificate of authenticity: it attests to the origin and conformity of the piece, and is covered by our lifetime authenticity guarantee — if a piece sold by Atelier Victor were found to be non-authentic, it would be fully refunded, with no time limit.
We accept several payment methods:
- Bank card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
- Bank transfer (AED, EUR, USD)
- Cryptocurrency (USDT, USDC)
- PayPal
Other currencies accepted upon request. Exchange fees of approximately 3% may apply.
A 3% discount is granted for any payment by bank transfer from €1,000.
Does the strap not suit you? Add the strap of your choice to your order: we will fit it to your watch before shipment, at no fitting charge.
International Shipping
Shipped within 48 to 72 business hours by DHL Express or an equivalent carrier depending on the destination. Delivery in 2 to 6 business days. Each shipment is insured and delivered against signature.
- Free delivery from €1,000 of purchase, as well as on the Jewelry Atelier Victor
- Tracking number sent as soon as the shipment is dispatched
- For certain destinations, delivery may be made to a secure collection point in order to guarantee the integrity of the shipment
Pickup in Dubai
Hand delivery by appointment in Downtown, Dubai. Make an appointment.
Taxes and Customs
The shipping origin is indicated on each product sheet. If the delivery country differs from the shipping country, customs duties and taxes may apply upon receipt, at the buyer's expense. In exceptional situations, customs checks may extend the delivery time, regardless of our wishes and those of the carrier.
For full details, please consult our shipping policy.
FINAL SALES
All sales are final: no return, exchange, or cancellation is accepted after order confirmation. Each piece is authenticated, inspected, and described in detail before being offered for sale.
BEFORE PURCHASE
Our advisors remain at your disposal for any questions and can send you additional photographs or videos upon simple request, by email or on WhatsApp.
NON-CONFORMING ITEM
In the exceptional case of an item that does not match its listing, please notify us within 72 hours: it will be eligible for a refund or an exchange. If the parcel shows damage upon delivery, it should be refused or its opening filmed continuously.
For full details, please consult our return policy.
A piece selected by Atelier Victor
Authenticated, checked, and photographed by us. As all sales are final, our team remains available 7 days a week on WhatsApp to answer your questions, share additional photos or a video of the piece in hand — so that your choice can be made with complete peace of mind.
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