Yema Superman Skin Diver Slim CMM.20 automatic black dial steel bracelet 39 mm

The origin of the "Skin Diver"

"Skin Diver" watches are a tribute to a bygone era in watchmaking, when elegance and functionality were combined to create precision instruments for divers. First appearing in the 1960s, they are distinguished by their sleek design and robustness, essential for underwater explorations.

The rise of these divers coincided with the golden age of scuba diving, popularized by innovations such as Jacques-Yves Cousteau's scuba diving suit. Divers needed watches that were reliable and easy to read underwater. These watches offered water resistance of up to 200 meters, a rotating bezel to track elapsed time, simple luminescent dials for optimal legibility, and sturdy stainless steel cases.

Their minimalist design, with clean lines and balanced proportions, made them equally elegant for everyday wear. Rubber or steel bracelets reinforced this duality between robustness and refinement. Today, "Skin Diver" watches are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, with watch brands revisiting these iconic models by integrating modern technologies while preserving the vintage aesthetic.

"Skin Diver" watches represent an era of accessible adventure and exploration, thanks to simple yet effective innovations. Their timeless design and proven functionality continue to appeal to watch enthusiasts and water lovers alike, making each "Skin Diver" watch not only a diving instrument, but also a symbol of the spirit of adventure.

The 1960s diver according to YEMA

This Yema is designed with the characteristics of a professional diver's watch in mind, offering a 39mm 316L stainless steel case (47mm horn to horn), distinguished by its 20mm curved lugs and brushed finishes in contrast to its polished bevels. Instantly recognizable thanks to the absence of the crown guard and with a contained thickness of just 10 mm, the steel case has been refined to accommodate the CMM.20 micro-rotor caliber, while preserving 300-meter water resistance thanks to its sapphire caseback and screw-down crown.

On the dial side, the French Manufacture plays the legibility card! We appreciate the singularity of the indexes, with their triangular, angular shapes, combined with the integration of Arabic numerals offering excellent legibility. The applied indexes are also slightly oversized, tapering towards the center of the dial to enhance the arrow-shaped minute, pencil-shaped hour and lollipop-shaped second hand. All these elements are treated in flave-colored Super-LumiNova Grade A, a reference to vintage models. The dark gray dial, reinforces the retro look and helps accentuate the play of light of the polished steel applied hour markers and hands on the anthracite dial.

This dial is protected by a 2.00 mm thick double-dome sapphire crystal that is resistant to shocks and scratches. The domed shape gives it a very unique, resolutely vintage look, offering improved legibility.

For fans of vintage watches, you'll love its bezel! Indeed, this one stands out for its "faded ghost" look found on certain references that have patinated over time. Made entirely of sapphire, it is in perfect harmony with the dark gray dial and brushed finish of the case. This redesigned bezel features unidirectional rotation, 0-60 graduation and a luminescent marker at 12 o'clock, essential elements for a professional diver's watch.

Finally, YEMA has completely rethought its iconic 1960s steel "Scales" bracelet! It has been slimmed down by 0.40mm to blend harmoniously with the slimmer case of this Superman Slim. What's more, it tapers progressively by 4mm at the buckle, adapting naturally to the shape of the wrist. It has a fully brushed finish, offering visual continuity with the brushed case. The brand has also thought of divers, with the double-security folding clasp, which features an extension so the bracelet can be adjusted easily and quickly over a neoprene wetsuit.

A beautiful mechanism!

The caseback features a transparent sapphire caseback that allows the Manufacture CMM.20 caliber to be admired in all its splendor, as well as preserving 300-meter water-resistance.

On the caliber side, we find the Manufacture Morteau Calibre 20 (CMM.20) micro-rotor with a unique design! It offers high performance thanks to its clever architecture and highly qualitative Franco-Swiss components. Entirely designed and developed by Olivier Mory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the regulating components are made in Switzerland, while the bridges and plates are machined by YEMA in its Morteau workshops.

This movement offers near-chronometric precision (-3/+7 seconds accuracy) and a 70-hour power reserve while beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). Its modern architecture means that it is only 3.70 mm thick. The gold-plated balance and tungsten micro-rotor stand out against the blackened background of the galvanized ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) bridges.