The following article was produced in partnership with Baume & Mercier.
The world’s most celebrated watchmakers will reveal their latest releases at Watches & Wonders 2024 and Baume & Mercier have got the ball rolling with a serious selection of timepieces.
We’re big fans of Baume & Mercier here at DMARGE, particularly the Riviera Tideograph and the Hampton, and whilst the transient waves of the exquisite French Riviera might feel like a bit of a stretch from the fresh spring chill in Geneva, Switzerland this week, Baume & Mercier’s 2024 releases are transporting us to warmer climes.
In this Baume & Mercier article
Baume & Mercier Riviera Tideograph
Limited to just 500 pieces, the celebrated Swiss luxury watchmakers introduced two new releases to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic Riviera collection, last year… and we loved it.
It reflected something of a trend during the last edition of the Watches & Wonders event of Maison’s releasing highly sophisticated sports watches with integrated steel bracelets… now they’ve returned with five more stunning novelties for the series.
During its initial release in the early 1970s, the Baume & Mercier Riviera Tideograph – in French Maréographe – quickly became a highly sought-after piece, reflecting the iconic natural beauty of the Cote d’Azur.
More than 50 years on, B&M has re-imagined this piece for the modern audience with five incredible new releases; each maintains the classic dodecagonal bezel for which it has become known, complete with the four exposed screws that dot around the angles of the case, but each with its own unique flair.
Firstly, Baume & Mercier have released three Riviera pieces with the sporty steel case x rubber strap combination: two in a 42mm diameter and the limited edition 43mm.
Featuring three new colourways, the Swiss brand has brought the vibrant colours of the Mediterranean to M0A10761, with a tonal palette of sun-satin blue dial reminiscent of the rolling tides from which it celebrates its name.
Elsewhere, the M0A10769 delivers a moodier expression of the Riviera series, with a sandblasted titanium steel bezel and integrated blue rubber strap for a strong masculine look and feel. But one that has seriously caught our eye is the Riviera M0A10721; it features a polished stainless steel bezel with an open-worked black dial and a complementing black rubber strap.
Baume & Mercier has completed the collection with two sporty pieces with integrated stainless steel bracelets. Presented in a 40mm diameter, the Riviera M0A10786 features a sleek grey vertical sun-brushed dial with three symmetrical subdials and a polished rhodium-plated moon phase disc with a black lacquered finish.
With prices starting at $8,500 AUD, this represents a reasonable entry point for an inherently sporty piece of this calibre.
Baume & Mercier Classima
Classy by name, classy by nature; Baume & Mercier’s latest chronograph oozes sophisticated style. Released in three iterations, the Classima reflects the famed Swiss Maison’s traditional yet contemporary spirit and represents the brand’s return to the classic chronograph collection.
Available in three distinct colourways – a sun satin-finished lacquered blue dial and flange glow, a sun-satin sand-coloured dial or a sun-satin green dial with a slate-coloured flange glow – Baume & Mercier’s 2024 Classima release has a rich and storied past, tracing its lineage as far back as the 19th Century, when the brand went by Baume & Co.
Back then, the watchmakers would regularly participate in chronometry competitions. Competitions that they would regularly win. In 1893, it set the record for precision with a keyless chronograph featuring a tourbillon escapement that scored a total score of 91.9; the Maison held this record for a decade.
It’s certainly worn many looks since then, but Baume & Mercier’s chronograph collection has consistently reflected elegance and sophistication, reflecting an unwavering commitment to crafting timepieces of the utmost precision and Swiss quality.
Fast forward to Watches & Wonders 2024, and the Classima effortlessly continues this triumphant trajectory with three distinct novelties. Presented in a 42mm diameter, the B&M Classima boasts three snailed counters for the chronograph and small seconds located at 12 and 6 o’clock.
The indices are finely riveted, whilst the leaf-shaped hands and rhodium-plated seconds hand beautifully complement the unique colourways, contrasting against the deep blue hue of the M0A10784 yet immersing in the dial of the M0A10782 and M0A10783.
Baume & Mercier Classima is available online now for $2,300 AUD.
Baume & Mercier Clifton
The Clifton collection may have only launched just over a short decade ago in 2013, but it’s said that the contemporary pieces have been more than 70 years in the making.
Inspired by the fabled releases of the 1950s and 60s, the Clifton collection reflects the Swiss luxury watchmakers’ enduring commitment to quality and class, producing sophisticated style items with classic round cases and dials for a men’s dress watch suitable for any occasion.
The new Clifton M0A10756 and M0A10758 models revealed today at Watches & Wonders 2024, continue this shared legacy of craftsmanship and celebrate the Clifton Collection’s celestial spirit with dedicated moon phases in each novelty.
Available in two novelties – a graduated blue lacquer and graduated grey lacquer – Baume & Mercier Clifton is the perfect marriage of Paul Mercier’s artistic creativity and William Baume’s technical expertise first introduced to the brand more than a century ago.
As you’d expect, the Clifton boasts an intricately assembled in-house Baumatic manufacture movement with a five-day (120-hour) power reserve, delivering the highest level of precision and performance directly from the workshops in Les Brenets, Switzerland. It’s a testament to the storied legacy of this Swiss Maison, whose history spans the last 200 years.
Presented in a 39mm diameter, the Clifton series features a domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, enveloped by a satin-polished stainless steel crown. On the dial, the date is indicated by either a gold or silver ring in the central position, accentuated by the polished moon-phase disk reflective of the black and blue hues.
The Baume & Mercier Clifton novelties are available for just $7,250.