Despite being its geographical neighbor, France isn’t as known for its watchmaking prowess as Switzerland. However, names like Breguet and Cartier have helped keep the nation’s industry afloat for generations. While it’s not a new name in horology, Yema is another French brand worth paying attention to. Back in February, we talked about the brand’s new slimmed-down Superman diver featuring a new in-house CMM.20 automatic micro-rotor movement. Now, Yema has inserted this caliber into its Skin Diver Slim, based on one of its vintage models.
Some Background On Yema
Founded in 1948, they enjoyed a heyday in the ‘60s and ‘70s with its stylish dive watches and racing chronographs. In the ‘80s, the brand’s Rallygraf chronograph became the first French watch to break into the racing arena and even became an on-track favorite of motorsports legend Mario Andretti. Despite surviving the Quartz Crisis thereafter, Yema laid low for several decades, experiencing a major resurgence a few years back. Now considered one of France’s most significant watchmakers, Yema is riding high on its vintage reissues and heritage versions of the Rallygraf and Superman diver.
Yema Skin Diver Slim CMM.20 Basics
Based on Yema’s ‘60s-era skin divers, the new Skin Diver Slim is technically part of the Superman umbrella but features some new aesthetic design cues such as the domed sapphire crystal, the faded look on the gray bezel, and the aged radium effect on the lume given to the bezel pip, hands, and hour markers. There’s also a tiki-style font for the 3, 6, 9, and 12, similar to some of Oris’ Divers Sixty-Five pieces.
Measuring 39mm across, the steel watch also has an incredible 300m of water resistance and is adorned with a Yema Scales bracelet similar to the ones popular at the time. And thanks to Yema’s in-house caliber, this watch is incredibly thin at just 10mm.
Already featured in the brand’s Wristmaster line, the CMM.20 is another star of the release, visible through the see-through caseback. The slimmer micro-rotor automatic movement is around 1mm thinner (3.7mm total) than the outsourced Sellita or ETA movements previously used. Boasting 70 hours of power reserve — the same as Yema’s CMM.10 — the CMM.20 utilizes a micro-rotor made of tungsten and mounted on ball bearings.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 39mm
Lug-to-Lug: 47mm
Case Thickness: 10mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 300m
Movement: In-house CMM.20 micro-rotor automatic
Band: Stainless steel Yema Scales bracelet
Limited Edition?: Yes, 500
Pricing & Availability
As incredible as this watch is, there’s a little issue about availability. Yema, perhaps creating some hype around this release, has limited the edition size to just 500. Fortunately, the price is rather accessible at just $2,249. Head over to Yema’s website to learn more.
Recap
Yema Skin Diver Slim CMM.20
Yema looks back at its mid-century skin divers for this new Skin Diver Slim, featuring its in-house CMM.20 micro-rotor automatic movement and a handful of vintage design cues.
