Yema inaugurates its high-end Millésime Editions with a titanium tourbillon Superman force majeure
Jamie WeissI must admit, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Yema (and French watches more broadly). Founded in 1948, Yema has had a tumultuous history, becoming France’s largest watch exporter in the 1960s and the first French watch in space in 1982, only to be acquired by Seiko in 1988 and fading somewhat into obscurity. In the 21st century, Yema is once again in independent French hands and has been increasingly focusing on bringing production in-house.
This has culminated in their latest high-profile release, the Superman Tourbillon CMM.31 Limited Edition, which combines the brand’s iconic dive watch with a manufacture tourbillon movement and inaugurates its Millésime Editions, which Yema describes as “yearly releases that showcase the pinnacle of watchmaking know-how and in-house capabilities” meant to be “the finest expression of Yema’s savoir-faire”. It’s one hell of an opening act, too, offering a real haute horlogerie experience at a very reasonable price.
The case
While this Superman’s tourbillon is clearly the star of the show here, this Yema is also noteworthy for being the first Superman to be cased in titanium (at least according to my research). While its 43mm diameter is somewhat on the large size, it’s only 13.8mm thick (2.1mm of which is accounted for by the double-domed sapphire crystal), meaning it doesn’t wear too big on the wrist – and being titanium, it’s nice and light. The darker, stealthy hue of the titanium also makes this Superman feel special.
As for finishing, all surfaces are uniformly brushed, with a lightly polished lip running down each lug for a pop of contrast. The unidirectional diving bezel has a domed ceramic insert, which gives off Bakelite vibes, and rotates in the usual way (this Superman doesn’t utilise Yema’s signature crown-operated bezel lock, nor does it have crown guards). The bezel is notchy and satisfying to rotate, underpinning that while Yema’s looking to flex some haute horlogerie chops with this Superman, it’s still a bona fide dive watch. To that end, it’s water-resistant to 200 metres – impressive considering its complication.
The dial
Further underlining its exceptional status, the Superman Tourbillon CMM.31 sports a dial finish unique to other Supermen in Yema’s catalogue: a subtle, asphalt-like grained black dial, which feels both vintage and contemporary all at once. Depending on the angle, the dial almost appears grey… It’s quite handsome. The accompanying time-telling hardware is pure dive watch stuff: large applied indices and a hybrid pencil and arrow-style handset, all filled with a generous amount of Grade A BGW9 Super-LumiNova for maximum legibility in low light.
But of course, it’s the tourbillon that’s the most exciting thing here. It takes up plenty of dial real estate, extending from the periphery almost to the central pinion, and while it’s unequivocally not a flying tourbillon, because its supports are asymmetrical on both sides of the movement and thanks to the design of the movement’s mainplate and bridges, you can actually peer all the way through to the other side of the watch through the tourbillon and its opening. This gives the tourbillon a real sense of weightlessness.
A thin stick hand affixed to the tourbillon cage allows the tourbillon itself to serve as a small seconds indicator, making it both dynamic and practical. You’ll also find some text on the rehaut just below the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, reminding you of this Superman’s Gallic origins: “Manufacture Française”.
The bracelet
The Yema Superman Tourbillon CMM.31 comes mounted on a titanium “scale” bracelet, a classic and distinct Yema design that’s both aesthetically pleasing and very comfortable to wear. It’s super slinky! It features the same brushed finish as the case and really adds to the nautical vibe of the watch.
It’s equipped with a folding clasp that offers an on-the-fly diver’s extension for micro-adjustment. Truthfully, the bracelet is great, but the clasp is a bit average – or more specifically, the extension system is a little crude, and doesn’t feel as premium as the rest of the wear experience. This is by no means a dealbreaker, however, and I’d be just as quick to criticise Yema for not offering any sort of extension or micro-adjustment when it’s becoming much more of a consumer expectation in today’s market.
The movement
Tourbillon is a French word, after all (it means “vortex” or “whirlpool”), so it’s only appropriate that the first edition in a yearly series celebrating Yema’s French watchmaking would utilise a tourbillon movement. The CMM.31 is an evolution of the CMM.30 calibre utilised in the Yachtingraf Tourbillon Mareographe from 2023, Yema’s first tourbillon-equipped watch, which is itself derived from Olivier Mory’s T02 tourbillon movement, which can be found in a variety of affordable tourbillon watches from brands like Ba111od and Louis Erard (and was even utilised in the controversial Trump Victory Tourbillon).
Yema describes the CMM.31 as being an in-house movement, but that requires some unpacking. It utilises a mix of components manufactured in both France and across the border in Switzerland, all sourced within a range of 72km from Yema’s workshops in Morteau, France. It’s fully assembled and adjusted in Morteau, too, and was designed by a Frenchman (who nonetheless is based in Switzerland). Yema are transparent about all this; it’s clear that the brand’s approach to “in-house” is less about being 100% French (although I’m sure that’s an eventual goal) and more about keeping things local, feasible and affordable.
The CMM.31 is more elaborately finished and constructed than the CMM.30: the latter is minimally finished, like Yema’s other manufacture calibres, whereas the CMM.31 steps things up a bit with redesigned bridges that expose more of the tourbillon from the caseback side, micro-blasted surfaces contrasted by vertically brushed bevels, chamfered edges and more developed wheel decorations. You’ll also notice that its tourbillon cage is shaped differently from both the CMM.30 and other T02-based calibres – it’s clearly a different beast.
But what about performance? Despite its pleasingly large 60-second tourbillon, this movement boasts an impressive 105-hour manually-wound power reserve thanks to a large single barrel. Yema claims a -3/+7 seconds per day, which is similar to COSC standards, and remember, cased in this Superman, it maintains a 200m water-resistance rating. It’s a great little movement, no matter which way you cut it.
The verdict
You’ll notice that I’ve only barely alluded to this watch’s price, which is by design: I think focusing too much on “affordability” or “value” can be something of a backhanded compliment for a watch or watch brand. But it’s also a big part of what makes this Yema so impressive and compelling. Let me put it this way: this is a fully titanium, made in France (not China!) in-house tourbillon with an over 4-day power reserve that also happens to be a proper dive watch with 200m water-resistance while not being ridiculously thick… And it retails for only €12,000.
Sorry, but that’s crazy. That’s a list of specs that any watch fan worth their spring bars should get excited by. Sure, a tourbillon dive watch might not be to your taste, but it’s hard to argue with this frankly insane value proposition. For what it’s worth, though, I love the way it looks. It strikes a fantastic balance between flashiness and sub-rosa purposefulness: it has a quiet confidence, which I think is emblematic of Yema’s in-house drive and higher watchmaking intentions. Savoir-faire indeed…
Yema Superman Tourbillon CMM.31 Limited Edition pricing and availability
As its name implies, the Yema Superman Tourbillon CMM.31 Limited Edition is limited to 100 individually numbered pieces and is available from Yema’s online store. Deliveries are scheduled for the end of October 2025. Price: CHF 10,000/€12,000/US$13,000
| Brand | Yema |
| Model | Yema Superman Tourbillon CMM.31 Limited Edition |
| Case Dimensions | 43mm (D) x 13.8mm (T) x 50mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Grade 5 titanium, ceramic bezel insert |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Grained black, applied hour markers and polished stainless steel hands with Grade A BGW9 Super-LumiNova |
| Lug Width | 22mm |
| Bracelet | Grade 5 titanium “scale” bracelet, folding clasp with diver’s extension |
| Movement | Manufacture Calibre CMM.31, Olivier Mory T02 base, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 105 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds (on tourbillon), unidirectional diving bezel |
| Availability | Limited to 100 pieces |
| Price | CHF 10,000 €12,000 US$13,000 |