Back in 2022 Yema revealed their new Manufacture Morteau CMM.20 movement in a limited edition Wristmaster collection. It marked the beginning of a new era for the French brand, going from strength to strength in terms of quality, design, style and in-house manufacturing. A few years later and the Yema Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 is back for good in a permanent collection alongside an additional (and seriously cool) limited edition.
Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 Limited Edition
Off the bat, the Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 Limited Edition looks amazing. It has a unique finish that gives it a cool degraded appearance, achieved by hand brushing the dial, bezel, case, bracelet and even the movement in a particularly abrasive and random style, creating a vivid texture to the piece. Then, a black PVD coating is applied over the top for that stealth appearance.
The lines in the metal look like the delicate strokes of a brush through paint – it almost reminds me of the signature painterly style of French animation studio Fortiche, the team behind recent hit show Arcane (100% on Rotten Tomato). Due to the hand finishing, no two watches are identical, making each one an exclusive timepiece even within the broader limited edition of 200 pieces.
Moving to dimensions, the Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 Limited Edition measures 39mm x 9mm with an octagonal design and integrated bracelet. It makes for a versatile daily wearer, especially when it comes to the non-limited versions we’ll look at shortly. The bracelet also has a nice taper to it for enhanced comfort.
One of the most mesmerising aspects of this watch is the movement, visible through the exhibition caseback. Not only does it have the same finishing as the rest of the watch but also it’s a fine piece of horology. It’s equipped with a micro-rotor that helps to supply the watch with a 70-hour power reserve, ensuring it keeps ticking along with its accuracy -3/+7 seconds per day. Importantly it’s also manufactured and assembled in Yema’s Morteau workshop in France.
It’s priced at £1,858 so I expect it to absolutely fly off the shelves. One of the most distinctive and unusual watches I’ve ever seen Yema produce.
Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 Core Collection
In addition to the limited edition above, Yema have released a standard, non-limited collection of Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 watches. They have exactly the same dimensions however there’s no PVD coating here, leaving bare steel for the case, bracelet and movement and exposing the uniform, vertical brushed finishing. On top of that, there’s some alternative polished finishing on display around the edge of the signature bezel.
As for the dial, it has a striped texture that varies in thickness to represent the natural shapes of waves or sand. It’s available in a choice of three colours, blue, champagne (officially it’s called grey but come on, this is France, and it doesn’t really look grey anyway) and a golden yellow. Of the three I prefer the sporty appearance of the blue edition although the others are enjoyable too. Really I think these three will be a much larger success than the limited edition simply by dint of the fact that more people will be able to purchase them.
They’re also a bit more accessible at a price of £1,699, which is a solid price given the high specs of the CMM.20 movement. Am I mad for thinking that Yema have been one of the most impressive brands of 2024?
Price and Specs:
Model:
Yema
Wristmaster Slim CMM.20
Ref:
IW395601
Case:
39mm
diameter x 9mm thickness, stainless steel with or without hand-brushed PVD finish
Dial:
Hand-brushed
PVD or textured striped
Water resistance:
100m
(10 bar)
Movement:
Yema
calibre Manufacture Morteau 20, automatic, micro-rotor, 33 jewels
Frequency:
28,800
vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve:
60h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds
Strap:
Stainless
steel bracelet with hand-brushed PVD finish
Price:
£1,858
(PVD, limited to 200 pieces), £1,699 (steel)
More details at Yema.
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