Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New Yema Granvelle Renaissance CMM.29 Refines the French Brand’s Architectural Dress Watch
A smaller case, a more elaborate dial and the same impressive French-made micro-rotor movement.
Named after the historic Granvelle Palace in Besançon, home to the city’s Museum of Time, the Yema Granvelle collection (2025) embraced a more architectural and elegant approach, stepping away from the brand’s familiar world of dive watches and tool-oriented sports models, and offering a model with a distinctive cushion-shaped case and powered by one of the most accessible micro-rotor manufacture movements on the market. Now, Yema returns with the Granvelle Renaissance CMM.29, a refined evolution of the inaugural series with more compact proportions, a redesigned dial and a few details designed to improve its character.
While the original Granvelle measured 39mm across, the new Renaissance is reduced to 37.5mm, yet retains a strong wrist presence thanks to its cushion-shaped design and broad dial opening. With a lug-to-lug measurement of 46.3mm and a thickness of only 9mm (with the crystal), the proportions feel quite well judged. As before, the case combines polished, vertically brushed and sunray-brushed surfaces, but now comes with redesigned lugs, and finishing has been improved. The distinctive fluted caseband remains, while the cushion-shaped crown has been redesigned specifically for this collection. Mirroring the case’s shape, it features alternating finishes and an embossed Yema logo. Water resistance is 50m.
The earlier Granvelle model relied on a stamped guilloché-inspired textured dial; the new Granvelle Renaissance introduces a more elaborate construction. The dial is organised into layers, including a central medallion with an engraved pattern inspired by the geometric roof motifs of the Granvelle Palace, a recessed hour track, a small seconds display at 9 o’clock and an outer chapter ring. Different finishes are used throughout, allowing the dial to change character with the light. Applied faceted hour markers and polished hands are filled with Super-LumiNova BGW9 for legibility in low light.
Powering the watch is the manufacture calibre CMM.29. Despite its new designation, the movement appears closely related to the CMM.20 found in the previous Granvelle (the engraving on the bridge still says Cal. Manufacture Morteau 20). This automatic micro-rotor calibre is developed and produced in Yema’s workshops in Morteau, operating at 28,800 vibrations/hour with a substantial 70-hour power reserve and a regulated accuracy of -3/+7 seconds per day. The movement uses a tungsten micro-rotor mounted on ball bearings and remains one of the most interesting technical propositions at this price point. Visible through the sapphire caseback, the calibre features rhodium-plated bridges decorated with a radiating Côtes de Genève pattern.
The watch is worn on a leather strap made specifically for the Renaissance, with a taper from 18mm at the lugs to 14mm at the buckle. The stainless steel pin buckle has also been redesigned, adopting the same cushion-inspired geometry found on the case and crown. The Yema Granvelle Renaissance CMM.29 is priced at EUR 2,100 and is covered by a five-year international warranty.
For more information, please visit Yema.com.
