Yema Superman Owner Review : Endearing, classic and recognizable

This Yema Superman represents my first true horological thrill. Of course, before it, there was this Casio brought back from Thailand by my uncle, which seemed so exotic compared to what was available in France some forty years earlier. But my first true horological desire, the one that left its mark on my imagination, was born when I saw this Yema Superman on my father's wrist in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It embodied everything I would later love about watchmaking: tool watches, especially diving watches, both sporty and elegant, robust yet subtle, exuding a masculine charm and a certain rarity. One day, while rummaging in a drawer, I came across it. There, stopped for nearly thirty years, it seemed frozen in time. A single thought obsessed me: to get it running again. And after a simple battery change and a water-resistance check, miracle! It started running again as if it had stopped the day before. It's been a few days now, and it's proving very accurate. The Shiojiri V342A movement seems quite high-quality. Admittedly, time has taken its toll: slight oxidation on the hands, a third of the Mercedes hand has vanished... But the dial itself remains intact. Only one detail betrays its age: no trace of Super-Luminova. No matter how long it's exposed to sunlight, at night, it's pitch black. Despite this, or because of it, this watch is magnificent! Its 19 mm lug width, its traditional external strap attachments, its slim and elegant 39 mm case, and its deep black dial with large indexes (big dial) – one of two designs available at the time – make this Superman II, from the Seiko era at Yema (model Y90056), a true icon. It also became the first vintage watch in my collection. I fitted it with a black tropic strap, and this combination seems absolutely perfect to me. There are two versions of this watch: a quartz and an automatic. Obviously, I would have preferred to find an automatic in this drawer. But, truth be told, it doesn't matter. The emotion it gives me far surpasses this technical detail. This small timepiece, difficult to find in such pristine condition, I wear it as proudly as a Rolex. In short, my horological Madeleine de Proust.