French brand Yema’s Wristmaster Slim is a compelling timepiece collection that offers an uncommon list of features at a very impressive price point. To appreciate the Yema Wristmaster Slim with its CMM.20 in-house micro-rotor automatic movement, you need to be somewhat literate in what other watchmakers offer at this price point, as well as what is trendy among collectors today. Everything from the shape of the case (and integrated bracelet) to the modest wearing proportions of the Wristmaster Slim fit neatly within what many watch fans are demanding. This particular reference 76.24.06.SN.M of the Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 is a limited-edition version with a hand-applied brushed case and bracelet finish I’ve never seen before in a retail timepiece. It’s a cool visual effect, but if it isn’t your thing (or if this watch is sold out), then Yema has more standard steel versions of the Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 available.
While the “Wristmaster Slim” name sounds like a hip electronic music act from the Y2K era, the watch design is a product of today’s current fascination with integrated bracelet-style watches that have been in vogue for nearly a decade. This trend is a revival from an era in the 1970s and 1980s when a number of men’s watches morphed into quasi-jewelry bracelet items, where an expressive “around the wrist” design was merged into a product that also told the time. What is particularly impressive to me are not the very expensive integrated bracelet watches coming out today, but rather the litany of watches between about $1,000 and $3,000 USD that populate this watch product niche with items that combine classic looks and novel features.
The Wristmaster Slim seems to begin with the idea that watch lovers need a comfortable and modestly-sized daily-wear watch, with just enough pizazz to keep the artistic part of their minds engaged. The Wristmaster Slim is accordingly a 39mm wide and 9mm thick package. That isn’t small but is designed with smaller to mid-sized wrists in mind. This is connected to an integrated, tapering bracelet that is closed with a butterfly-style deployant clasp. While a rubber strap is available for the case, there are no quick-release features allowing the bracelet to be removed without tools. With that said, the bracelet is fitted with two comfort extensions on each side of the bracelet near the deployant. You pull them out or push them back in to slightly change the size of the bracelet by 1.5mm long increments.
In steel, the Wristmaster Slim wears with a pleasant heft but is comfortable on the wrist thanks to a lack of sharp edges or corners. This is important to mention because a lot of other “geometric” case designs are also quite sharp and unpleasant to run along the skin. The case is also water resistant to 100 meters with a screw-down crown. Over the dial is a slightly domed sapphire crystal, with another flat crystal on the caseback allowing for a view of the Caliber Manufacture Morteau 20 automatic movement. The domed sapphire crystal over the dial does produce a bit of glare, but I do agree that the domed effect increases the perceived quality of the watch and that a totally flat crystal would not allow for as nice a final product.
The dial of the Wristmaster Slim is legible and elegant and reminds me of something that Chanel/Bulgari might design. The proportions are good and I like how the hour and minute hands stand out thanks to the light color of the luminant painted on them and how that contrasts with the black face. The text on the dial, however, (which is not very important to read on any regular basis of course) is quite small. The most notable text is the “Manufacture Francaise” label which distinguishes a watch like this Yema from a Swiss Made product. With that said, Morteau, France is in “watchmaking country” and is near the border of Switzerland. So, really, the same people and mechanical watchmaking culture goes into the making of a Yema product.
The movement, produced by Yema in France, is known as the CMM.20. In this watch, the bridges have been given an interesting texture and black-coated color to help match the interesting texture of this limited edition Wristmaster Slim’s case, bracelet, and dial finishing. The micro-rotor-based automatic movement operates at 4Hz with 70 hours of power reserve. Yema promises performance of -3/+7 seconds per day (at least), which is pretty close to COSC Chronometer standards. The movement is relatively thin being just 3.7mm thick. You can see a slightly different execution of the movement in the Yema X Alain Silberstein Marine.
Solid-color watches without textured surfaces are becoming increasingly boring to many consumers. For that reason, the watch industry has been steadily introducing textured materials or processes that create interesting textures, over traditional materials for many years now. This is an area of nearly unlimited innovation, and multiple times a year we see watchmakers introduce novel materials or decorative techniques. In each instance, the effort is the same, and that is to combine the profile of a traditional watch with a texture that is soothing and interesting to the eyes. Ideally, that texture and color are also beautiful. For this limited edition version of the Wristmaster Slim CMM.20, Yema did something interesting involving hand-finishing.
To create a cohesive look, the watch bracelet, case, bezel, and dial are all given the same finishing – a practice that, in my opinion, often creates a handsome look. The particular finishing is a combination of bespoke hand-applied brushing and a later dark-gray PVD application over it. That implies that each of the 200 pieces in this limited edition Wristmaster Slim collection, will have a slightly different look. The process starts with an artisan using tools that scratch the steel surface to create the distinctive brushing lines. Rather than lots of uniform brushing directions, the artisan creates brushing in many different directions with the result being something between brushing and splatter art. It is actually quite a cool visual effect. Normally a surface finishing like this would be fragile and not necessarily pleasant to the touch. That’s where the PVD coating comes in. Not only does it create the nearly black color treatment, but it also adds a small layer that softens all the brushed surfaces and makes the entire timepiece feel quite soft to the touch (as I mentioned above). I think most people who handle this Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 hand-brushed limited edition watch will agree that the visual and tactile effects are impressive.
What I like most about the Yema Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 Limited Edition is how it offers appeal in more than one area. Watch enthusiasts will like the in-house movement and approachable price point. Design lovers will enjoy the overall case and bracelet design, along with the comfortable wearing experience. Fashion lovers will find the textured black and brushed design beguiling and original. Yema has really just presented a very impressive way of making the “boring black watch” feel fresh again.
Even though this hand-brushed limited-edition version of the Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 requires a lot of extra work, it is not that much more expensive than the standard Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 models, with just a $200 premium in price. As far as I know, this is the only Yema product to offer this type of finishing right now, but it is so nice that I anticipate Yema will revisit this finishing process with future models in the upcoming future. For now, the reference 76.24.06.SN.M Yema Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 watch has a retail price of $2,449 USD and is limited to 200 pieces. Learn more at the Yema website.
Necessary Information:
>Brand: Yema
>Model: reference 76.24.06.SN.M Yema Wristmaster Slim CMM.20
>Price: $2,449 USD
>Size: 39mm wide, 9mm thick, 43.5mm long lug-to-lug distance
>When reviewer would personally wear it: As a fashionable daily wear watch when a modest case size and beguiling case finishing are in order.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Someone seeking an integrated bracelet watch around 39mm wide that likes the style and French character of this model.
>Best characteristic of watch: Comfortable, beautiful case. Hard to find a movement like this at this price point. Impressive level of hand-finishing and fashionability with the limited edition texturing on steel.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Slight glare on dial. Unknown how the finishing will age with wear and tear.
