Hands-On Introduction: The Yema Granvelle CMM.20 — Inspired By 16th-Century Architecture
Yema’s current catalog mainly consists of sports watches, so it’s nice to see a new dressier option, especially because it has quite an original design. The inspiration for the all-new Yema Granvelle’s cushion shape came from the arches in the courtyard of the Granvelle Palace in Besançon. The building also houses the Museum of Time, and the city is the capital of the French watchmaking region, where Yema’s workshops are located. Inside the new Granvelle is the company’s slim micro-rotor CMM.20 caliber.
Earlier this year, Yema announced that it shifted to using Swiss-made Sellita movements instead of proprietary calibers for its entry-level mechanical watches. This allows the company’s watchmakers to focus all their attention on the higher-end manufacture movements. The new Granvelle CMM.20 already shows that more attention went into the watch’s design. Let’s take a closer look.
The Yema Granvelle collection
As said, the Granvelle’s peculiar case shape is inspired by the 16th-century architecture of the Granvelle Palace in Besançon. The building’s courtyard features a gallery with numerous so-called basket-handle arches. Their flat tops and vertical sides are typical of bridges and arches from that period. When you look at the Granvelle’s 39mm case, you can easily recognize those defining features with the flat edges between the rounded corners.
The bezel features a vertically brushed finish on top and a polished finish on the side. Then, on the mid-case, we find a classic coin-edge texture, and the fairly compact lugs have a brushed finish with a polished chamfer.
The Granvelle’s dial mimics the arched case shape. There’s a wide white chapter ring with carved-out hour markers, and at the center of the dial, there’s a concentric pattern. This pattern originates from the cushion-shaped sub-seconds register at 9 o’clock. The alpha-shaped hour and minute hands each have a bevel and a polished finish. You can choose between metallic black, blue, or green dials as well.
Yema’s CMM.20 micro-rotor movement
The case back features a window with the same arched shape. Through it, you can get a good look at the in-house-developed Yema Calibre Manufacture Morteau 20. This automatic micro-rotor movement runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, features 33 jewels, and holds a comfortable power reserve of 70 hours. The movement is regulated to run between -3 and +7 seconds per day, and its bridges feature sunburst Geneva waves. Setting the movement is a simple affair thanks to the signed, cushion-shaped push-pull crown at 3 o’clock.
Another standout feature of Yema’s CMM.20 movement is its slimness. At only 3.7mm, it helps to keep the Granvelle’s overall profile down to only 8.6mm, which is great for such a dressy piece.
On the wrist and in the hand
The new Yema Granvelle is a nice departure from Yema’s usual offerings. At first, I thought the 39mm size for the squarish case shape would be a bit big. However, in combination with the 47mm lug-to-lug, it fits rather well on my 17cm wrist. That’s probably also because the corners are so round. The case shape, I must say, is particularly nice. It’s original without being weird and suits the dressier look of the watch.
We had the green- and blue-dial versions in the office. If I had to choose, I’d go for the blue one. It’s so dark that it sometimes appears black or purple. The green tone is a bit brighter, and I think the black-dial option is, in reality, a bit grayish. I do like how the dial plays around with the arched case shape. However, with the carved-out chapter ring and the off-center concentric pattern, it’s a bit much for me.
Available now
The new Yema Granvelle is available now for €1,990. That’s a great price for a watch with a proprietary micro-rotor movement and such an original design. Each watch comes on a premium brown leather strap with a nicely executed folding clasp.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of Yema’s new Granvelle collection.
