Wristmaster Traveller Micro-Rotor Black - Ltd Ed 1948pcs

We all are familiar with countless exceptional watches made by the Swiss and Japanese that are dominating the market. Nonetheless, the French also displayed excellence in the fine art of watchmaking with the creation of many beautifully decorated haute d'horlogerie pieces and complex movements. While YEMA may not be a name that the masses are entirely familiar with, it is a brand synonymous with the production of fine French-made timepieces and an incredibly rich heritage.

Created by Henry Louis Belmont, a graduate from the National Watchmaking School of Besancon, YEMA was founded in 1948 and has been producing fine quality watches since. Along with some household names in the field of watchmaking, YEMA has concentrated on producing mostly emblematic and mechanical timepieces, including sports divers for pilots, racing drivers and underwater divers. Its repertoire includes reviving the YEMA Superman, commonly touted as France's legendary dive watch.

Yema Wristmaster Traveller Micro-Rotor Black - Ltd Ed 1948pcs

Introduced in 1963, the Superman took the dive watch community by storm with its outstanding 300m water-resistance and idiosyncratic bezel-lock device. Today, we introduce the new limited edition YEMA Wristmaster Traveller Black with the all new technology of the micro-rotor! Only 1948 pieces worldwide!

In the seventies, Yema went on to produced some of the most recognisable chronographs in the world. Word has it that Yema chronographs are often spotted gracing the wrist of Mario Andretti, a highly decorated racing driver with the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship under his belt. He had even crossed the finishing line to claim the champion trophy at the Indy 500 race in 1969 with a Yema Rallye chronograph strapped on.

Also, Yema's aviation theme watches - the Flygraf chronographs are crafted in close collaboration with pilot watch enthusiasts and professional pilots to reach the greatest heights in the watch industry. And to cover all of the sports prospects, Yema recently crafted its luxurious steel sports watch segment with the limited edition Yema Wristmaster series. In 2024, Yema continues the trend and went on to introduced this on-going Yema Wristmaster to add to the Traveller series.

Octagon case with raised sapphire crystal

Right off the bat, the 316L stainless steel case of the YEMA Wristmaster Traveller stands out straight away for its asymmetrical octagonal shape, a distinct appearance offering a visually intriguing style compared to the usual rounded construction. YEMA certainly knows all the right formulas to craft one enthusiast-driven vintage-looking mechanical masterpiece, with a case diameter of 39mm, a lug to lug distance of 43.5mm and an incredible case thickness of 9.2mm, you can expect the watch to look incredibly posh on the wrist, exhibiting a sporty yet elegant appeal.

Taking a closer look at the case, details in its finishing are executed pleasingly with a continuous alternation between fine satin brushing and highly-polished chamfers, bringing a tasteful pop of refinement while preserving the marked sporting spirit. These beautiful finishes carry through towards the steel bezel, showcasing a unique design with top and bottom bevels inspired by a YEMA Sous-Marine quartz model from the 1980s, an old-school design that aged well even by modern day standards.

The polished and vertical brushed finishes cohesively extend down to the retrograde integrated stainless steel bracelet, featuring slim links that closely hug and conform to the wrist for utmost comfort with an attractive sporty look to complement the timepiece. For a seamless fit, the tapered integrated bracelet is secured with a YEMA-signed double folding butterfly clasp.

BGW9 Super-LumiNova

On the dial of the Yema Urban Traveller, we get a striped black dial carrying a unique texture which gives a 3D effect as if it is caved in. In line with the design theme of the watch, the dial is presented with applied markers treated with up to Super-LumiNova BGW9 for a vivid glow in dark lighting conditions. Apart from the printed YEMA logo, at the 6 o'clock position rests a playful "Wristmaster" imprint. The dial is then complete with a slightly raised scratch-resistant sapphire crystal for a resolute vintage touch.

After 2 years of optimisation, Yema has finally debuted the new In-House micro-rotor Caliber CMM.20 which is featured on this watch. It features self-winding with ball bearings rotor while beating at a higher 28800 bph or 4 Hertz with a 70h power reserve. Thus, this timepiece provides an accuracy of -3/+ seconds per day. YEMA's In-house Caliber relies on a new movement, hand designed to provide better resistance to shocks and vibrations.

Not stopping there, the true ingenuity that allows for such a slim and high functioning watch is the state-of-the-art micro-rotor caliber that represents a significant evolution from the brand's previous reliance on Sellita/ETA movements or the YEMA2000 caliber. The movement, developed with input from the renowned Olivier Mory and Patrick Augerau, is a testament to French horological craftsmanship, with its components produced either by YEMA in Morteau, France, or by local suppliers within a 72km radius. This movement features a tungsten micro-rotor on ball bearings, achieving a thinner profile which contributes to the watch's overall slimmed-down case design without compromising its dive watch capabilities.

3.70mm micro-rotor in-house caliber

A micro-rotor has to be fine-tuned and carefully crafted taking it's shape and aerodynamics into consideration in order for it to capture kinetic energy to power the watch. By minimising the space taken, the rotor is allowed to be moved back, remove a whole entire layer of the movement which makes it possible for a watch to be this slim. It cannot be said enough the ingenuity and the technology powering this horology piece. YEMA thoughtfully protected the movement with a sapphire crystal case back to allow wearers to appreciate the artistic movement in their watch.

Overall, the YEMA Wristmaster Traveller Black reveals a state of the art, modern take on the 70s-inspired timepiece with an attractive modern design recalling past references. YEMA has been producing some really new outstanding watches from their iconic Superman CMM2.0 to various stunning collaboration models, however this latest integrated sports watch release has impressed us once again, proving time and time again how amazing the French are at making such phenomenal timepieces.

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