Mother-of-pearl has been flooding the watch world this year, showing up on everything from dress watches to integrated sports models. But Yema looked at all that and thought, “Why stop at the dial?”
The French brand decided to do something nobody else has pulled off: they covered both the dial and bezel insert of their dive watch in mother-of-pearl. ts models. But Yema looked at all that and thought, “Why stop at the dial?” The result is the Navygraf Pearl CMM.20, a 39mm diver that’s probably too pretty to take anywhere near actual water, but that’s kind of the point.
The Fragile Beauty of Mollusk Shells
Cutting mother-of-pearl for a dial is already challenging work – the material is hard but brittle, harvested from the inner layers of mollusk shells where aragonite crystals stack in random geometric patterns. No two pieces look identical, which means every Navygraf Pearl is genuinely one-of-a-kind. But forming mother-of-pearl into a thin bezel ring? That takes some real precision and just a single crack ruins the entire insert.
Yema offers two colorways, although they’re both quite similar. The limited Blue edition of 200 pieces leans toward turquoise and seafoam green, while the standard production model skews darker with navy and violet tones. Both versions shimmer with that characteristic iridescence that shifts dramatically depending on light and viewing angle. The brand managed to create visual continuity between dial and bezel by carefully matching the thickness of the mother-of-pearl and the color of the underlying base – which is no small feat when working with natural materials like this.
To protect the delicate bezel insert, Yema topped it with a resin coating and a double-domed sapphire crystal ring. As we previously mentioned, this might bea called a dive watch in name, but it isn’t really meant for dive boats or tool watch duty. Yema positions the Navygraf Pearl as “a sophisticated statement when worn with formal attire,” which is watch marketing speak for “this is a desk diver and we’re okay with that.”
The Superman Comes Out to Play
The Navygraf Pearl borrows its handset from Yema’s Superman dive collection rather than using the standard Navygraf obelisk hands. That means you get the iconic arrow-tipped minute hand and matching hour hand, all treated with blue-glowing Super-LumiNova along with the applied hour markers and bezel pip. The 39mm stainless steel case features vertical brushing on top with polished chamfered edges, a coin-edge grip on the unidirectional bezel, and compact crown guards protecting an oversized screw-down crown. The whole package sits at just 9.75mm thick excluding the crystal, with a 46mm lug-to-lug measurement that should fit most wrists comfortably.
Water resistance is rated at 200 meters, which is respectable for a watch you’ll probably never submerge beyond a sink or swimming pool.
Micro-Rotor Magic
Here’s where Yema earns serious respect: the Navygraf Pearl runs on the brand’s Calibre Manufacture Morteau 20 (CMM.20), an in-house automatic movement with a tungsten micro-rotor. The micro-rotor design allows for that slim 3.7mm movement height, which is why this watch appears to wear so sleek on the wrist.
The CMM.20 beats at 28,800 vph, delivers 70 hours of power reserve, and maintains accuracy of -3/+7 seconds per day. The movement is designed and assembled by Yema’s watchmakers in Morteau, France, using components sourced from France and Switzerland within a 72km radius of their workshops. It’s visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback, showing off dark-coated bridges decorated with radiating Côtes de Genève.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 39mm
Case Thickness: 9.75mm (excluding crystal)
Lug-to-Lug: 46mm
Case Material: 316L stainless steel, brushed with polished chamfers
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Calibre Manufacture Morteau 20 (CMM.20) automatic micro-rotor
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Accuracy: -3/+7 seconds per day
Bezel: Unidirectional with mother-of-pearl insert, resin coating, sapphire crystal ring
Crystal: Double-domed sapphire
Strap: Stainless steel H-link bracelet or black perforated FKM rubber
Limited Edition: Blue dial limited to 200 pieces; dark dial regular production
Pricing & Availability
The Navygraf Pearl is available now on Yema’s website. The limited Blue edition runs $2,549 on the steel bracelet with micro-adjustable clasp or $2,229 on rubber. The darker standard dial is priced at $2,490 on steel and $2,190 on rubber.
Recap
Yema Navygraf Pearl CMM.20
Yema breaks new ground by extending mother-of-pearl from the dial onto the bezel insert of its 39mm Navygraf diver, creating a shimmering desk diver powered by the brand’s impressive in-house micro-rotor movement.
