Yema: История французских часов для спорта и космоса

French watchmaking company

Yema is a French watchmaking company that was founded and based in Besançon, France. Since its inception, Yema brand has designed watches specifically for diving, motor racing, space exploration and sailing. Since 2009, the brand has belonged to the French watchmaking company Montres Ambre de Morteau.

Henry Louis Belmont, graduated at the top of his class at the National Watchmaking School of Besançon in 1931, and created his own watchmaking company under the name Yema in 1948.

In 1963, the company launched Yema Superman for divers. Many variations were produced by the company for this model of watch.

In 1966, the first Yema Yachtingraf was launched, a watch especially designed for sailors. At the same time, the first Yema RallyGraf was launched. One Yema RallyGraf was even worn by Formula One champion Mario Andretti. At the start of 1970, Yema became an official supplier of the French Sailing Federation (Fédération Française de Yachting à Voile) and equipped the French National Sailing Team in the 1972 Olympic Games. Six different versions of Yema Yachtingraf model were crafted over the years.

On 24 June 1982, French astronaut, Jean Loup Chrétien, flew from the Baikonour base for a 10 day trip into space, wearing a Yema Spationaute I, making it the first French watch in space. On 17 June 1985, the Discovery shuttle took off with Patrick Baudry and his Yema Spationaute II on mission STS 51G (First Franco American Orbital Flight). On 26 November 1988, Jean Loup Chrétien went on a mission to MIR Space Station wearing a Yema Spationaute III.

In May 1986, Yema joined forces with French physician and explorer Jean Louis Etienne to cross the North Pole.

In 1988, Yema was bought by Seiko, a watch corporation headquartered in Japan.

Later in 2004, Louis Eric Beckensteiner acquired Yema.

In 2009, Yema was acquired by the French watchmaker group Montres Ambre de Morteau, located in Morteau, France. This is the current owner.

Yema designed a new proprietary watch movement: the MBP 1000. Equipped with a bidirectional oscillating mass mounted on ball bearings, they allowed a fast reassembly and a power reserve of 40 hours. This resulted in a gain of efficiency but also precision, provided by a regulator whose balance beats at a frequency of 28,800 alternations per hour. Stacking a total of 31 rubies including 2 located at the ends of the axis of the barrel, this technical design effectively reduced the friction generally observed at this element following the mechanical movements.

In 2017, Yema partnered with CNES (the National Centre for Space Studies) to create a new model of watch, the Yema Spacegraf. This model was to honor of the Proxima mission, which sent the 10th French astronaut to space.