For the past three years, YEMA has been working on something pretty special. They have been building yet another in-house manufacture movement, this time a classic three-hand calibre with chronometric precision, a 70-hour power reserve and high resistance to magnetic fields and shocks.
Since it worked so well for them in the past, the French watchmaker has turned to Kickstarter to help finance their CMM.10 calibre and on November 10, they’ll launch a new campaign to present two new YEMA Superman Bronze Limited Editions equipped with the new CMM.10 movement. The bronze-cased novelties are limited to just 1,948 pieces so to commemorate YEMA’s year of foundation.
YEMA are hopeful that this Kickstarter campaign will be their last, so to close the chapter on this fruitful collaborative phase, they have chosen their Superman Bronze watch as the recipient of the new CMM.10 movement. The Superman Bronze was released as part of their first Kickstarter campaign in 2019, and like before, they will also be renewing their support to the sperm whale scientific mission that inspired the first Superman Bronze.
The Calibre CMM.10
YEMA are in quite a rare position, geographically. They are based in Morteau, France, which obviously makes them a French watchmaker but since they are just 15km of Le Locle and 20km from La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, they are able to source parts or entire movements from Swiss movement manufacturers right on their doorstep.
The new Calibre CMM.10 has been entirely designed and manufactured in the Franco-Swiss Jura massif in Morteau and its surroundings, with its part made either in-house or sourced from no more than 70km away. The movement has been completely assembled, regulated and tested in-house and according to its decent list of specs, it prides itself on stability and precision. It includes a transversal balance bridge and glucydur balance wheel for improved accuracy and durability. There’s also a Nivaflex hairspring, Incabloc double-cone system and an optimised escapement geometry to improve friction.
The large bidirectional rotor on ball bearing winds up a large barrel for an impressive 70-hour power reserve. There’s also a frequency of 28,800vph and a precision of -3/+5 seconds per day which has been certified by COSC. On top of all this, finishing hasn’t been neglected either. It has micro-blasted, galvanic treated black plated and a skeletonised gunmetal rotor. The result is a unique automatic winding calibre with the tech and finishes normally found in watches over the £4k mark.
YEMA Superman Bronze CMM.10 Limited Edition
As for the exterior of the YEMA Superman Bronze CMM.10 watch, you’ll find that most updates - compared to its 2019-predecessor - are found within. It still maintains the neo-vintage, skin-diver aesthetic which would suit occasions on land and in water. It comes in two sizes, the first is 38mm wide with a lug-to-lug width of 48mm while the second is a little larger at 41mm wide with a lug-to-lug of 49.5mm. Both have a height of around 13mm if you include the 2.2mm tall double-domed sapphire crystal.
The case is entirely engineered from bronze, which as you’ll know from our guide to bronze watches, means it’ll develop its own unique patina as the metal interacts with moisture and pH levels in its environment. This means each YEMA Superman Bronze CMM.10 Limited Edition will become completely bespoke to its wearer, giving it a truly unique and authentic finish based upon your experience wearing it. The bronze has both brushed and polished finishing which spans the elongated lugs, screw down crown and bezel.
The bezel is unidirectional and engraved with a 60-minute diving scale for measuring elapsed dive time. It has a sunray-brushed surface and a luminous pearl set at 12 o’clock to mark the zero position. It also boasts an unusual bezel-lock device beside the crown at 3 o’clock. The YEMA Superman Bronze CMM.10 watch allows for shallow diving with a 300 metre water resistance, helped by a screw down exhibition case back.
Both the 39mm and 41mm YEMA Superman Bronze CMM.10 comes with a choice of two dials: a lacquered black dial or a gradient dark blue dial. All of the familiar details are there including the Superman hour and minute hands and the painted hour markers. You might have spotted that the iconic “shovel” seconds hand has now been replaced by a lollipop sweep hand for enhanced balance and the new MANUFACTURE FRANÇAISE signature has found a new home at 6 o’clock. All the hardware is generously adorned with vintage coloured Superluminova.
To match its dial, the YEMA Superman Bronze CMM.10 Limited Edition comes with an integrated FKM rubber strap in black or blue. It’s a relatively durable material that is designed specifically for use in extreme conditions. Both straps arrive on a pin buckle in IP bronze. We do think our ZULUDIVER 284 Italian rubber strap would also look well matched with either dial. The Royal Blue or classic Black variants matching with the respective displays.
ZULUDIVER 284 Italian Rubber Diver's Watch Strap
As mentioned, the YEMA Superman Bronze CMM.10 watch is a limited edition of 1,948 pieces and all four variants are available to order as part of the Kickstarter campaign beginning on 10 November 2023. It will retail at EUR 999 (excl. taxes) or EUR 1,199 (incl. EU taxes). The novelty is expected to ship between April and May 2024.
Technical Specifications:
- Brand: YEMA
- Model: Superman Bronze CMM.10
- Price: for EUR 999 (excl. taxes) or EUR 1,199 (incl. EU taxes)
- Material: Bronze
- Movement: In-house calibre CMM.10, automatic winding, chronometer-certified
- Complications: Hours, minutes, seconds
- Dial: Black or blue
- Size: 38mm or 41mm
- Glass: Double-domed sapphire crystal
- Water Resistance: 300 metres
- Strap: FKM rubber
- Limited: 1,948 pieces each
