Yema Steps Up Its Game With The New Superman Slim — Powered By The In-House CMM.20 Micro-Rotor Movement

Back in 2022, I reviewed a couple of Yema’s Superman models, and I really liked the vintage vibes of the pointy lugs and the clean diver’s dial. The 39mm size is perfect for a wide variety of wrists, and I even thought the old-school bezel lock was charming. Unfortunately, I found the overall finishing and the quality of the bracelets disappointing, and my colleagues have shared similar concerns. Today, Yema introduces the new Superman Slim. The French brand says it has raised the level of finishing, and it also fitted the watch with its in-house micro-rotor CMM.20 movement. Let’s see what it’s like in person.

The Yema Superman 500 and the Superman Full Lume were certainly fun watches to review. I thoroughly enjoyed the dark tone of blue on the 500’s dial and bezel. Then, there was the great-looking combination of an impressive glowing dial and a brushed bezel on the Full Lume. Both were well-designed and looked good on the wrist. However, due to the disappointing level of finishing and non-matching bracelet, the watches left me with a bad aftertaste. I sincerely hope these let-downs have been eliminated with the new Yema Superman Slim CMM.20.

The new Yema Superman Slim CMM.20

Let’s start with the basics. The new Yema Superman Slim has a 39mm stainless steel case that measures 48mm long and 12mm thick, including the 2mm domed sapphire crystal. That’s one whole millimeter slimmer than the regular Superman. That’s because the automatic in-house caliber CMM.20 is only 3.7mm thin. This allowed Yema to make the case thinner, and I have to say, the watch looks very slender from the side. The fact that the mid-case is so slim also enhances this effect.

I’m also very glad to see that the finishing on the case is much more refined. The lines between the brushed parts and the polished bevels are very sharp. But the best part is that the brushed finish of the bracelet matches that of the case. It no longer looks like Yema took a random bracelet from stock and put it on the watch. It actually looks like the bracelet and the case belong together.

I’m still not a big fan of the stamped clasp, but the bracelet does feel sturdy. My only concern is that it doesn’t fully articulate. Consequently, on my 17cm wrist, it “floats” a little as it extends from the lugs. In that sense, it doesn’t hug my wrist very nicely, though it may fit larger wrists a bit better.

Classic black or vibrant blue

The new Superman Slim is available with either a black or blue dial. Both are lacquered and feature painted white Super-LumiNova indices and white printing for the minute track, logo, and elegant French text. The indexes contain a decent amount of Super-LumiNova, just like the playful shovel hands and the lume pip on the sapphire bezel insert. On the black version, the shades of the dial and the bezel perfectly match. However, on the blue version, it seems that the bezel insert is slightly darker than the dial. This doesn’t bother me much, but I felt that I should mention it.

The blue that Yema chose is very vibrant, almost as vibrant as the Visa blue dial on Daniel Ricciardo’s new Tudor watch. I think it looks great, but it certainly stands out. If you’re a fan of a more modest look, then maybe the black version would be better for you. It has a classic black-and-white layout that is super legible and timeless.

The in-house Calibre Manufacture Morteau 20 (CMM.20)

Then we get to what I feel is the most exciting part of the new Superman Slim, the CMM.20 micro-rotor movement. That abbreviation stands for Calibre Manufacture Morteau 20, and the movement was designed and developed by Yema’s watchmakers in Morteau, France. Some of its components, such as the bridges and mainplate, have also been produced there. The rest of the parts have been manufactured in Le Locle, Switzerland.

Through the large sapphire crystal of the exhibition case back, you get a good look at the awesome-looking black satin finish of the movement. The micro-rotor, which spins on ball bearings, is made of tungsten to provide enough mass to charge the mainspring with up to 70 hours of power reserve. The automatic movement runs at a 28,800vph frequency and features 33 jewels. Yema advertises that it should be accurate between +7 and -3 seconds a day, which is close to chronometer specs. The watch is also resistant to magnetic fields, partly thanks to the use of a Glucydur balance wheel.

You operate the movement via the screw-down crown, which helps the watch maintain water resistance to 300 meters. The crown is protected by long, pointed guards, and it also locks the bezel in place when it’s fully screwed in.

My thoughts

Overall, I think the Yema Superman Slim CMM.20 is a great-looking watch. The finishing has noticeably improved from earlier models I’ve experienced. The bracelet doesn’t feel like an afterthought anymore, and the in-house movement looks super sleek. Its modern style doesn’t match the more vintage-inspired styling of the watch, but I’m nitpicking here.

I do feel that the bracelet not draping or wrapping around the wrist (or my wrist, at least) is a bit of a shame. I guess it has to do with the design of the “scales,” which I do like quite a bit. If Yema could somehow improve the articulation and add a milled clasp, then I’d be fully satisfied with it. That said, we heard that the bracelet does loosen up a little bit over time—a bit like a pair of shoes breaking in—allowing for a better fit.

One other thing that I think needs some improvement is the execution of the dials. I know that they take inspiration from vintage models, so printing and painted indexes should suffice in that respect. At this price point, however, I would at least expect some applied indexes. Perhaps I’m being a bit too critical here, but I feel that Yema is so close to making a great watch but, in my eyes, is just not there yet. I hope that pointing out these little things helps make the watches even better in the future.

Available in May

The Yema Superman Slim CMM.20 will be available as of May this year. You can pre-order one for €2,490 on the Yema website starting on February 20th at 7pm CET. The brand will start with 100 pieces of each color, but more will be made available later on. If you want more information on these watches, please visit Yema’s official website.

Would you go for classic black or vibrant blue? And what do you think of this higher price point? In the comments below, let me know what you think of the new Yema Superman Slim CMM.20.