Alain Silberstein has done it again! This time, the quirky designer teamed up with the French based YEMA to launch a 500 pieces limited edition watch powered by an impressive movement from our friend Olivier Mory.
Editor’s note: Note that the watch in the photos are prototype and the “Swiss Made” at 6 O’clock of the watch will be replaced with “Manufacture Francaise”
Review: the new YEMA x Alain Silberstein Limited Edition
The YEMA x Alain Silberstein Limited Edition has a retail price of USD 3,900 and is limited to 500 pieces.
Yema is a brand that is very close to my heart. It is the first watch manufacture that I have ever visited and am grateful to the team that helped widen my horizon. This time, the Morteau based watch manufacturer teamed up with the famous designer Alain Silberstein to release the YEMA x Alain Silberstein Limited Edition.
The team at Yema sent the watch to us for a couple of weeks and I had the pleasure to wear it for my holiday to Taiwan with extensive wrist time. Here’s a review of it after wearing it for a week on the wrist.
First Impression/The Case
“Can I take your watch off you? It’s very interesting! I love the play of colours and design of it” exclaimed a friend in Taiwan. Well, that encounter wasn’t the only one, there were at least 10 individuals including my girlfriend who was intrigued by the design of the watch. The playful use of shapes and colours captured many attention during the trip. I am not gonna lie, the watch was certainly captivating.
What stands out from YEMA’s Alain Silberstein watch as compared to the others is Alain Silberstein is involved in the design of this watch from ground up instead of just adding shapes and colours into an existing range. That’s certainly a commendable effort from both parties.
The case is made of the Grade 5 Titanium Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coated multi-part diver styled watch. The 40mm case sits well on my 6.25 inch wrist due to the relatively short lugs. The watch would be a nice fit for wrists as small as 5.5 inch and still have no lugs overhang. Good news for those with small wrists.
The case sports two crowns. Both the crowns are screwed down to ensure the it withstands the depth rating of 200 meters. The crown at two o’clock activates the bi-directional inner rotating bezel while the crown at four o’clock enables the wearer to adjust the time. Interestingly, unlike other Silberstein, the crowns only carry colour coding, and not shaped as triangles or squares.
The Dial
“What a burst of colours!” exclaimed a friend. Who would have thought that putting half the colours of a rainbow into a dial would still be visually appeasing. In this array of colours, having a bright red triangle with a white outline as an hour hand, a distinctive and huge yellow arrow as a minute hand and finally, a bright blue starfish as a second hand is all thrown into a dial, it is surprisingly easy to read.
On the rehaut of the dial, we have the bi-directional inner rotating bezel which acts as a “timer” for divers. The first 20 minutes are marked in a baby blue. The three-dimensional applied markers are fully coated in Super-LumiNova. This 3D design is not only visually appealing but has some science behind it. The 3D indices and round markers in the rehaut are polyester micro tiny blocks infused with Super-LumiNova. All glowing nicely for the light show in poorer light conditions.
The Movement: Morteau CMM 20
Powering the playful hands of the watch is the Caliber Manufacture Morteau (CMM) 20. It is the brainchild of Olivier Mory and is a movement that we are very familiar with. This exact same movement was in the YEMA Superman Slim CMM 20 that we reviewed earlier this year. The movement is designed to be reliable, robust, but also with good looks.
The case back features , two kois languishing above the movement. The koi motif of the two kois brings a serene and calming element in stark contrast with the bright red rotor and darkened movement. This vibrant artistry evokes the grace of koi while capturing the essence of underwater elegance with Silberstein’s signature flair.
The CMM 20 movement is a micro rotor automatic time only movement features a 70 hours weekend proof power reserve which all in a 3.70mm thick movement. That’s certainly an impressive spec for it’s price and indeed it is bang for buck. The bridges and main plates cut in YEMA’s atelier which enables it to bear the “Manufacture Francaise”. We will show the YEMA manufacture to demonstrate this Made in France philosophy in a report to be scheduled for publication before the end of the year. Watch this space!
Strap
In variant of Limited Edition YEMA, it comes with two FKM rubber straps in the box, one in red and the other in black. Well considering the quirkiness of the design, both straps would certainly compliment the look of the watch. However, I chose the black strap to wear with the watch as it enables me to wear the watch with a suit or just t-shirt and shorts over the weekend.
What also impresses us is the Grade 5 titanium deployant clasp with a black DLC microblasted finish. Though deployant clasp is one that usually bear the brunt of our day to day wear especially during desk diving, the supplied clasp’s finishing is surprisingly good and there were no corners cut making it which enables the wearer to have a pleasant experience with it.
Comparisons
In this section of comparisons, we compare a some watches that will rival the YEMA X Alain Silberstein Limited Edition. The design puts the watch firmly on one camp which is the quirky, colourful and artistic, while the other foot is in the dive watch. Here we consider two options, both within the striking distance of the retail price of the YEMA, but one in each of these camps.
First up in the comparison, we have the Louis Erard X Alain Silberstein Smile Day. Louis Erard was one of the earlier adopters of design of Alain and through the years, the flock has grown. One of the closest competitor is perhaps the Smile Day. It incorporates Alain’s design in beautiful case with articulating lugs. And a great hit for fans of the designer.
Secondly, we have one of the most iconic divers in the market, the Tudor Blackbay 54 which arguably is one of my ultimate choice watch in this price category. The Blackbay 54 comes in either a steel or rubber bracelet along with an adjustable T-Fit clasp, 37MM case that could withstand up to 200M of water resistance and the most important aspect is driving the hands on the watch. The MT5400 is a COSC certified movement with 70 hours power reserve. All in for USD 3,900? Oh it’s a steal!
Conclusion
There is no other word to put it but saying “I love it!” The play of colours and shapes captivated me. But that is not all. What makes the YEMA stand out is that it is a magnificent canvas for Alain Silberstein’s magic.
Stay tuned to our articles as we will bring you more insights on YEMA’s Manufacture in Morteau.
