THE NOVELTIES BAUME ET MERCIER 2024

April 17, 2024
Posted by Kyriaki Herodotou

Taking inspiration from the picturesque beauty and azure waters of the French Riviera, it’s all about the Riviera collection this year.

There’s quite a number to expect from Baume & Mercier this year. Recent times have seen their dress watches

Instead of a rubber strap, it’s dressed up a little more than most, with a black alligator strap and fastened with a rose gold pin buckle.

Riviera Baumatic Calendrier Perpétuel

Yes, the perpetual calendar is not on a Clifton model this time, but in an all-steel Riviera.

While the automatic Baumatic movement with a Dubois-Dépraz module is not new to the Riviera collection (it was introduced into the Riviera collection in 2023 for its 50th anniversary with a 40mm steel model produced in a limited edition of just 50 watches), the classically displayed calendar remains legible thanks to Baumer & Mercier’s presentation of a uniform gray dial; the moon phase disk is polished and rhodium-plated with a black lacquer finish.

take the spotlight, namely the all-black Hampton timepieces that were made in collaboration with artist Pierre Soulages.

For Watches & Wonders, the maison veers towards a sporty approach, as they’ve unveiled an array of new models from their Riviera Collection. The name takes its inspiration from the French Riviera and its diverse elements, such as the azure ocean, and modern architectural motifs that are reflected in the colors and finishes in the collection.

The Riviera Collection is easily distinguished by its signature dodecagonal bezel, a shape first introduced in 1973, which celebrated 50 years last year. The collection sees new additions with six new models in the line-up.

Riviera Squelette

The design of the skeletonized Riviera bears a modern design that’s influenced by the sleek architecture of Riviera villas. It’s not so much vaulted ceilings and opulent furnishings, but it’s more so the clean lines, expansive windows, and terraces that make up the elegant and sleek design reflected in the timepiece.

Within the 42mm case size, the dodecagonal steel bezel features both polished and sun-satin finishes, while the black bezel ring in anodized aluminum frames what can be seen of the movement below — an automatic-winding Sellita AMT2500. It offers a 38-hour power reserve with water resistance up to 100 meters.

The watch’s faceted black dial, complemented by oxidized hands coated with white Super-LumiNova, creates a striking contrast and ensures readability even in low light conditions.

Completing the ensemble is a built-in black rubber strap with a canvas pattern, featuring a triple folding buckle.

Riviera Baumatic Acier-Titane

With its sandblasted steel case, blue PVD-treated lugs, and a smoked blue sapphire crystal, the Riviera Baumatic Acier-Titane was designed after the French Riviera’s more rugged nature i.e. the region’s mineral solidity and oceanic depths.

Its smoky blue sapphire dial features a wave motif, complemented by Roman numerals and gold-tone indexes coated with luminous Super-LumiNova. Powered by a self-winding Baumatic movement (which features various guilloché decorations from circular to snailed and Côtes de Genève), this timepiece offers precision, a five-day power reserve, and protection against magnetic fields.

The accompanying blue rubber strap has a triple folding buckle in matching sandblasted ADLC-coated steel.

Riviera Baumatic Rose Gold

When the sun gets real low, there’s nothing more romantic than the golden hour. Aptly named after this phenomenon, the Riviera Gold timepiece illuminates the evening with its rose gold allure.

It’s smaller than its steel DLC counterpart at just 39mm. This time with a smoked gray sapphire dial that subtly shows off the wave decor that’s contrasted by gold-tone Roman numerals and indexes coated with luminous Super-LumiNova.

Instead of a rubber strap, it’s dressed up a little more than most, with a black alligator strap and fastened with a rose gold pin buckle.

Riviera Baumatic Calendrier Perpétuel

Yes, the perpetual calendar is not on a Clifton model this time, but in an all-steel Riviera.

The inner works are status quo — five-day power reserve with a 50-meter water resistance. It’s paired with a sophisticated strap system, which includes an interchangeable gray rubber and alligator strap.

Riviera Baumatic Tideograph

Forget reading dates — read the tide instead. The Tideograph presents an unusual complication that lends function to its name — a tide indicator.

So, how do you read it? Geography tells us that the natural occurrence of tides results from a complex interplay of gravitational and centrifugal forces among the moon, earth, and sun. The moon exerts the most significant influence, whose cycle results in a time gap of 12 hours and 25 minutes between consecutive high or low tides.

Here, the tide complication is divided into four quadrants, featuring snailed and sandblasted finishes representing high and low tides respectively. This design allows direct interpretation of the current tide condition so, depending where you are in the world, the push-button at 4 o’clock allows you to adjust the tide disk.

Now, the intensity of the two high tides on a given day can vary significantly. Hence, the indicator disc features a circular symbol indicating which of the two tides will be the highest, aiding in a more accurate tide prediction.

Powering this watch is the automatic Baumatic BM14-1975AC3 movement that runs on a five-day power reserve. It’s housed in a 43mm stainless steel case that’s water-resistant up to 100m, and made in a limited run of 500 pieces.

Riviera Diamants

The dressiest timepiece in the Riviera lineup is a 33mm steel number that’s set with 44 brilliant-cut diamonds. The dial of choice is a lacquered midnight blue with a wave transfer decoration and a sun-satin finish.

Unlike other bejeweled bezel timepieces, the Riviera Diamants sports four visible polished screws. It’s a display of function and glittering aesthetics on the same plane, which makes for interesting detail.

It runs on a quartz movement with a ten-year autonomy, and the polished satin-finished stainless steel bracelet is easily interchangeable without tools.