Bezel
Superman bezel-locking bridge
ProbableA hinged bridge that clamps down over the rotating bezel and physically prevents it turning — a mechanical safety device for a diver, introduced with the Superman in 1963 and present on every generation since. The longest-running distinctive mechanism in French watchmaking, and one of very few components in this catalog whose correctness can be established by operating it.
Part reference
- Brand
- Yema
- Material
- Steel hinged clamp over the bezel edge
- Introduced
- 1963
Documented variations
Classification
FactoryDocumented as shipped from the factory for this reference and period.PeriodNot original to this watch, but correct for its production period.ServiceFitted by the manufacturer's own service network. Not a defect.AftermarketThird-party part. Affects originality, not authenticity.ModifiedGenuine parts in a configuration the factory did not sell. Affects originality and value, not authenticity.CounterfeitDeceptive reproduction intended to pass as genuine.UnknownEvidence on file does not settle the question.Functioning lock
FactoryProbableWhole production
With the bridge engaged the bezel is held firmly and will not rotate; released, it turns normally. Test it before assessing anything else on a Superman.
Present but non-functioning
UnknownProbableWhole production
A bridge that closes without clamping, or a bezel that turns with the bridge engaged. On a period watch this usually means a replaced bezel or a worn lock — a condition finding. On a modern watch it means the mechanism was reproduced as an appearance rather than as a function, which is a different and more serious conclusion.
Replaced period bezel
ServiceProbableWhole production
Bezels and inserts on a sixty-year-old diver are consumables and have circulated for decades. A replacement is a service or restoration finding and is very common. Its consequence is evidential rather than moral: the bezel can no longer corroborate the rest of the watch, so the lock mechanism and the case become the more informative features.
Documented on these references
- Yema Superman (1963)Factory
1963 →
Engage it and try to turn the bezel. One second, and it is the model's defining check.
- Yema Superman HeritageFactory
Whole production
Reproduced as a working mechanism, so a functioning lock does NOT date the watch.
Provenance of this record
Sources & Evidence
Yema — collection specifications and brand history
Yema
- Accessed
- 2026-08-19
Cited for
Yema collector research on the Superman, military issue and vintage chronographs
Collector communities and French specialist dealers
- Accessed
- 2026-08-19
Cited for
Last verified: Not yet reviewed