Yema Submarine: blindly mix and match

Vintage Yema Sous-Marine

This is my third Yema after the Yatchingraf Regatta and the re-cased Yema Meangraf Super. Yema is special to me for it is the jewel of France watch industries. French loves to romance.... so I believe they would put their hearts, their souls, their feelings into the watch they manufactured. What I have here is a vintage Yema Sous-Marine. This is a pure French's DNA Yema, i.e. this watch is dated before the acquisition of Yema by Seiko.

I bought this watch dirt cheap. Apart from the dial and movement, the watch was in terminal ill stage. The plated metal case was corroded. the crown was missing, the crystal had shattered, and even the back case was a mis-fit. For most people it would either go into a dustbin or just savage for parts. I am passionate with watches. I hate to see watches in terrible stage..... if I have the resources, I like to give them a second chance... to be beautiful again and to do their primary purpose well, that is to keep good time. I have to be thankful because I have a highly talented, meticulously skillful watchmaker friend who will climb the mountain and dive into the ocean for me and my outrages requests. 

This is Yema Sous-Marine. Using the google translating Sous-Marine in French means under-water, therefore the nearest to it is Submarine. This Yema has a beautiful blue dial with white hands. The odd hour rectangle shaped markers and the even numerical markers are all illuminated. The watch has a date function at 3 o'clock. There is a subsidiary second hand dial at 6 o'clock position. There is "Antichoc" word above the subsecond.... hahahaaaaaaaa it is not anti-chocolate, but French for Anti-shock or shockproof.

The Yema Sous-Marine was transplanted into a Swiss Army case. This case, and the sporting bezel are all stainless steel and with screw in stainless steel case back. It is water resist to 100 meters. The replacement case is in fair condition with scratches and dents. However it is still a tough, rugged and sporty looking case which fit the watch pretty well. 

For the crown, we used the original mido signed crown for it. 

This is a unsigned hand-winding 17 jewels movement. I would think this a Yema in-house movement because it is stated France on the movement. 

What this watch requires now is a good quality silicon band and it is all ready to go again.......