In the splendid setting of Watches and Wonders, Baume & Mercier presented new models of its flagship watch, the Riviera. The Helvetic house introduced four new chronographs to its catalog, including one with a flyback complication, reconfirming its prowess in realizing this type of function.
Let us now go on to discover all the details of each of the new watches presented.
Baume & Mercier: masters of chronography
Baume & Mercier has a history studded with achievements, in terms of chronometry and chronography since the 19th century, in which it distinguished itself by making a number of split-seconds and tourbillon chronographs by winning the Kew Observatory competition in England, one of the most important of the time.
The real revolution occurred in the1930s and 1950s, when several chronographs containing tachymeter and telemetric scales were introduced, features that are taken for granted today but had practical significance at the time. These watches were very often made of gold, with elegant and refined designs, offering advanced techniques for the time.
In 1952, the company took a step forward by acquiring C.H. Meylan Watch SA, thus beginning to produce its movements in-house and becoming a manufacture, from which resulted several chronographs that were highly praised for their quality. In 1973 the Riviera was born, one of the most beloved watches among enthusiasts thanks to its out-of-the-box design. In the years to come Baume & Mercier continued to produce different versions of the iconic Riviera, also declining it in different chronograph versions, including those just introduced at Watches and Wonders.
The new Baume & Mercier Riviera 10827
The first new chronograph we are discussing today is the new Riviera 10827, a self-winding mechanical watch with date display. The steel case, 41 mm in diameter, echoes the Riviera’s canonical geometric lines with the iconic dodecagonal bezel. The dial, which we can call “panda” due to the alternation of black and white, features chronograph counters and a continuous seconds counter at three, six and nine o’clock, but the special feature lies in the finish.
In fact, the base of the dial has been made with a wave pattern, giving depth to the entire surface. On the bezel and bracelet we find a satin finish, giving elegance to the watch. Powering this new chronograph is the Valjoux caliber 7753, with a 48-hour power reserve.
The list price is EUR 4,200.00.
The new Baume & Mercier Riviera 10828
The centerpiece of the new signature three Baume & Mercier timepieces is definitely the flyback chronograph reference 10828. A watch in full vintage style, with a design reminiscent of the first Baume & Mercier watches of the post-war era. On this new Riviera, we find one of the most beloved chronograph functions: the flyback chronograph. This complication allows the chronograph hand to be reset and restarted with a single push of a button located at four o’clock on the case. In addition to this, the watch features tachymeter scales in the center of the dial as a tachymeter and rangefinder, just like on vintage models.
With a 41 mm diameter case and gold-colored brushed dial, this watch was made in a limited edition with 73 pieces produced to pay homage to the Riviera model’s year of birth, 1973.
The list price is EUR 8,200.00.
The new Baume & Mercier Riviera 10825 and 10826
The last two models are also chronographs but have additional functions such as date and day. The two models differ simply in dial color but share the same aesthetics and functionality, as well as the soleil finish and wave pattern as in Ref. 10827, but further embellished by the colimacon finish in the counters at six, nine and twelve o’clock. Presented in a 41 mm diameter version, this chronograph features 48 hours of power reserve.
The list price of both watches is EUR 4,200.00.
Conclusions
Once again Baume & Mercier has demonstrated its mastery of the chronograph complication with an eye to the past, repurposing a design that has made the brand’s history and evoking vintage details.
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