The New Yema Wristmaster Slim Small Seconds, Including a Surpising Camo Version

Founded in 1948 by Henry Belmont, Yema was France’s top producer and exporter by the 1960s. Renowned for legendary models such as the Superman, which appealed to professional and amateur divers alike, Yema went the way of many other mechanical watch brands during the quartz crisis and changed hands, including a stint with Seiko, until a French watchmaking group, Ambre, acquired the company in 2009. Committed to regaining the prestige it had enjoyed in its halcyon days, Yema staged its comeback with modern reissues of the Flygraf, Rallygraf, and Navygraf, but also devoted its energies to producing a slim, in-house micro-rotor “Made in France” movement that powers the brand’s neo-vintage sports watch with an integrated bracelet: the Wristmaster. Yema returns today with three new Wristmasters with small seconds counters, new dial colours and a limited edition decked out in camouflage from head to toe.

Although the octagonal case has a 1960s vibe, the Wristmaster is not a vintage reissue and borrows certain features from earlier models. Thanks to the slim in-house calibre CMM.29, the compact 39mm stainless steel case has a lean profile of 9.2mm. Coupled with a compact lug-to-lug span of just 43.5mm (excluding the first mid-link), the watch sits well on most wrists (pictured here on Xavier’s 18cm wrist). Slim and comfortable to wear, it is nevertheless a sports watch, and the prominent protrusions on the right side of the asymmetrical case serve as crown guards for the screw-down crown, which ensures 100m water-resistance.

However, the most distinctive feature of the Wristmaster is the scalloped bezel with six notches carved into its surface, similar to the one featured on the 1980s Yema Sous-Marine model. While the bezel contributes to the Wristmaster’s personality and frames a raised double-domed sapphire crystal, it reduces the dial aperture.

The two “regular” references of the Wristmaster in stainless steel feature a sporty vertical brushed finish that extends from the bezel to the case and the bracelet, emphasising its integrated design. In the same manner, the polished bevel running along the bezel and the case middle continues down the tapering links of the bracelet.

Equipped with an off-centred concave small seconds counter at 9 o’clock, other features distinguish it from the regular three-hand Wristmaster. Replacing the rippling pattern of the classic Wristmaster, the Small Seconds models feature a smooth purple/blue or green dial. The applied indices are now trapezoidal and more pronounced, with double indices at noon and filled with luminescent material, matching the hour and minute hands.

If you’re on a Yeti-hunting expedition in the Himalayas and need a watch to blend in with the surroundings, the Wristmaster Slim Camo has got you covered. A limited edition of 100 pieces, the snow camouflage used on the case, dial and bracelet gives the watch a stealthy monochromatic presence. Using grey, light grey, and white tonalities, the camo effect is achieved via laser engraving. If you look closely, you’ll see that the notches of the Sous-Marine bezel have not been treated with camouflage and display their regular brushed finish. Similarly, the polished bevel of the bezel, the case flanks, and the sides of the bracelet add a touch of light to the matte composition.

To stand out against the mottled camo dial, Yema uses applied, polished trapezoidal markers with black outlines and luminescent interiors that match the faceted hour and minute hands.

All three references feature a sapphire exhibition caseback to view the slim, 3.7mm-thick in-house calibre CMM.29. Standing out from the regular steel editions, the micro-rotor of the camouflage model is engraved with the watch’s limited edition number 001/100, and the bridges are decorated with a mottled snow-inspired pattern – the steel references feature a sunray Côtes de Genève finish on the bridges. Using the CMM.20 base developed by Yema with watchmaker Oliver Mory, the efficient tungsten micro-rotor delivers energy to the large barrel for a robust 70-hour power reserve. The 4Hz balance wheel is held under a full bridge for extra stability, and the movement is regulated to -3/+7 seconds, close to COSC specifications.

The Wristmaster Slim Small Seconds in steel with a blue or green dial retails for EUR 2,249, and the 100-piece limited snow camo model retails for EUR 2,399. More information at yema.com.