Celebrating the Art of Gift Giving with Baume & Mercier

Baume & Mercier has always strongly believed that watches are ‘gifts that contain feelings’, making them the perfect companions for the most important moments of our lives. Be it a milestone birthday, a momentous graduation ceremony, a love-filled wedding or a Christmas spent with loved ones, Baume & Mercier watches are the perfect gifts. They proudly spotlight the brand’s unique creative and aesthetic choices and the technical excellence that brings the watches to life.

Baume & Mercier’s special connection with the art of gift giving dates back to 1869. As per the brand’s archives, one of the founders, Louis-Victor Baume had presented his daughter Mélina a gold pocket watch on the occasion of her first communion. The timepiece was engraved with the words “To our dear child”. The brand continues to celebrate the same spirit of gift giving, highlighted this year by a charming snowman named Baumy that instantly makes one smile.

Each collection pays tribute to the art of shape, an area in which Baume & Mercier has excelled since Paul Mercier made it the House signature in 1918. An ideal representation of William Baume’s watchmaking expertise, the collections make for perfect gifts this festive season. GMT India takes a closer look.

The Riviera collection

Inspired by the French Riviera and its timeless beauty, this collection (first launched in 1973) includes spectacular features — skeleton, tideograph, perpetual calendar — paired with bright, cheerful dials, optionally set with diamonds. The case with its twelve-sided bezel has a chic, casual appeal that lends itself wonderfully to a festive sporty atmosphere that resonates with mountains and seasides.

The lineup features steel pieces (both self-winding and quartz) in four different sizes, and in a wide range of colours including deep, dazzling options and pleasing pastel hues. The sporty masculine contours complement the overall refined feminine silhouette. Some variants are powered by the in-house Baumatic movement, offering an impressive performance. The calibre also features remarkable autonomy thanks to its five-day power reserve. The water resistance is approximately 50 metres.

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The Clifton collection

Crafted in steel or gold, these timepieces sport a stylish round case with delicate curves and exquisite finishes. Be it the classic models or the more contemporary variants, these watches highlight a discreet, understated luxury. Ideal for everyday wear too, they act as the perfect embodiment of Baume & Mercier’s technical prowess and watchmaking savoir-faire.

Certain models house the in-house Baumatic movement, guaranteeing wearers a high degree of durability, reliability and comfort. The collection features various complications such as day, date, moon phase, and perpetual calendar, that appear on meticulously crafted solid or subtly gradated dials in white, beige, blue, black, grey, green and chocolate. The brand’s attention to detail is also showcased via the scrupulous finishes of the movement: circular-grained bridges, the sand-blasted and snailed baseplate, and the openworked oscillating weight with a snailed “Côtes de Genève” decor visible through the sapphire caseback.

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The Classima collection

An homage to traditional Swiss craftsmanship with a touch of modern creativity, this collection has a simplicity to it that appeals to watch enthusiasts of all kinds. Available in self-winding mechanical variants or quartz models with round cases, the watches — available in 42 mm with a thickness of 6 mm, and in 39 mm with a thickness of 5 mm — represent Baume & Mercier’s commitment to both the aesthetic and technical aspects of watchmaking. 

The dials, available in shades such as bright blue, sand, green or black complement the slim silhouettes, boosting the watches’ visual appeal. Functional yet highly stylish, the collection offers users complications such as GMT display that are bound to enhance daily lives. Aesthetic details like skeletonised dials with small seconds boost the collection’s contemporary allure even further. 

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The Hampton collection

When first revealed in 1994, the Hampton collection with its groundbreaking aesthetic centred on the shape of the rectangular case created a stir. With its distinctly vintage 1920s Art Deco look inspired by an iconic piece from the 1960s, the collection continues to successfully combine clean lines and curves with softened contours and perfect proportions.

Minimalistic and charming, the Hampton watches explore a fresh, harmonious colour palette for women with sculptural dials, crowns and straps. Recent additions to the collection include ultra-chic variants that allow the watches’ contemporary glamour to shine through. These include an all-black version with a black lacquered dial, a crown topped with a black agate cabochon, and a black strap; a rose gold (750/1000) version with a black leather strap; and a steel version with a bicolor mesh mingling steel and rose gold-plated steel (GC200).

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