Trying On The 38.5mm Yema Navygraf Super Compressor In Marine Nationale Bleu
Yema and I go back, way back. Well, back to 2021, actually. One of the first articles I wrote for Fratello was on a Yema watch…and not just any Yema watch. The Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT Limited Edition I wrote about marked the start of Yema’s military career as an official partner of the French Navy. The French Navy, or Marine Nationale, has been sailing the seven seas since 1626, making it one of the oldest naval forces in the world, and having a French watch brand “on board” makes total sense. And so did the LE’s dial in Marine National Bleu. The soft, subtle, and matte yet fresh aquatic shade of blue is on point. More than three years later, a similar blue dial attracted me to the 38.5mm Yema Navygraf Super Compressor.
Two versions of the Yema Navygraf Super Compressor lay side by side in a watch box — the blue reference YNAV24SC-GMS and the black YNAV24SC-AMS. I didn’t hesitate for one second when asked to pick one to write about. The fresh blue version of this €990 / US$990 dive watch is the one that does it for me. Why the blue works better for me than the black version is a very personal matter of taste, but I can explain why I picked the colored version over the more sober Yema dive watch. It’s not just the shade of blue but also the proportions.
The Yema Navygraf Super Compressor in Marine Nationale Bleu
If you’re not into blue dials, the new Yema Navygraf Super Compressor in the French brand’s Marine Nationale-inspired colorway is not for you. Or is it? Like the Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT Limited Edition, the blue shade on the dial of the compressor diver has an almost introverted hue. Not only is the shade just right, but the absence of sunray stripes, vertical brushing, or a smoky effect makes it more neutral, less distracting, and easier to read. If the moderately sized 39 × 12.85mm Navygraf LE from 2021 is too big/too blue for you, you could/should try the slightly smaller Navygraf Super Compressor. This watch has a 38.5mm diameter, a 46mm lug-to-lug, and an 11.15mm thickness (excluding the 2.2mm-thick double-domed sapphire crystal). And since we’re talking numbers now, it also has a 19mm lug spacing.
How can a 38.5 × 11.15mm watch be better than a 39 × 12.85mm watch and win you over? We’re talking about small, three-dimensional watches here, where every tenth of a millimeter matters; that’s how. On a small scale, minute changes in proportions can have a big effect. In all fairness, the new Navygraf Super Compressor is also completely different from the watch that started the collaboration between the French Navy and the watch brand from Morteau in the French part of the Jura. Not all dive watches are created equal, as you know. A watch with an internal bezel looks nothing like one with an external example. It’s a case of history versus modernity.
Clean and clear
Yema has been manufacturing Navygraf models since the 1970s. These watches’ dials feature exclamation-mark-shaped indexes, creating a clean and clear signature look for the model. The navy-blue dial of the Navygraf Super Compressor shows plenty of white Super-LumiNova to provide a striking contrast with the matte finish. Additionally, the no-nonsense markers, hands, and bezel treated with Super-LumiNova Grade A ensure easy readability, even to a depth of 300 meters.
Sometimes, a watch named Super Compressor just looks like one. But Yema built a veritable Super Compressor. This watch features a compression spring within the case back, a mechanism that increases the water resistance the further down you dive as the water pressure builds. Along with this functionality, it has the typical Super Compressor look with two crowns showing a textured waffle-like finish on the surface. The screw-down crown at 2 o’clock controls the internal 60-minute dive bezel, while the other screw-down crown at 4 o’clock controls the movement. Yes, despite its charming classic size and fresh and fashionable color, the Navygraf Super Compressor is a robust and functional instrument.
The downside of pure retro
One pure retro and very 1970s element is the shark-proof Milanese mesh bracelet. It perfectly fits the look of the watch. It’s also quite comfortable, but there are also a few elements I don’t like. It’s not fair to compare the bracelet of the Yema with the one on the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “Silver Surfer” I recently reviewed because of the massive price difference. But because I wore both watches on the same day, I inevitably did.
The one on the Seamaster might be a bit bulky around the clasp area, but at least you can adjust and operate it easily. The clasp and adjustment system on the Yema are straight from the past. Don’t expect to keep your fingernails intact when adjusting the bracelet to the desired size. Opening the safety lock of the clasp when you take the watch off is also not without danger.
Modern elements of a retro watch
The mesh bracelet is retro in look and function, but the Navygraf Super Compressor also has contemporary elements. For instance, you can see the matte navy-blue dial with the internal dive bezel through a double-domed sapphire crystal. Behind a case back showing the polished Yema crest beats a modern automatic movement the brand developed and built in-house. It’s the second-generation YEMA2000 caliber, offering a daily rate of ±10 seconds per day and a power reserve of 42 hours. I bet having an in-house movement inside a sub-€1K watch from a watchmaking village in France instead of Switzerland or Japan makes for an excellent conversation over a good glass of wine with your peers.
Final words on the Yema Navygraf Super Compressor
A reasonable sum of €990 / US$990 buys you a very neat 300m-rated dive watch with a very distinct look that not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. The supple Milanese bracelet fits the look, and once on the wrist, it feels good, but it isn’t the nicest to adjust and open. Still, overall my impressions are positive thanks to the moderate proportions, the functional Super Compressor case, and, last but certainly not least, the matte yet fresh navy blue — sorry, Marine Nationale Bleu — of the dial.
What do you make of the Yema Navygraf Super Compressor? Does it seem like a winner to you? Let me know in the comments.
