50TH ANNIVERSARY RIVIERA NOVELTIES - PERPETUAL CALENDAR & BAUMATIC
BAUME & MERCIER UNVEILS THE QUINTESSENCE OF SPORT-CHIC WATCHMAKING WITH A BAUMATIC RIVIERA PERPETUAL CALENDAR TIMEPIECE
LIMITED EDITION OF 50 PIECES
Its polyvalence is one of its most emblematic qualities. A symbol of the lifestyle spirit of Baume & Mercier, the Riviera celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year... And, as always, it won’t go unnoticed! After being relaunched in 2021 through a fifth generation with a multitude of looks, this Brand icon has been expressing Baume & Mercier expertise since the early 1970s through remarkable combinations of materials, design, watchmaking savoir-faire, and a clear understanding of the codes of the times. In the last two years, several new versions have appeared (three-handed, diving, chronograph, moon phases, GMT), available in several sizes (33 mm to 43 mm in diameter) to adapt to every style without ever losing its own. Distinctive as ever with its twelve-sided bezel and pure lines, this unmistakable sport-chic watch is available in infinite varieties that demonstrate its creative capacities.
Baume & Mercier presents its signature complication – the Perpetual Calendar, particularly distinctive of the Clifton collection – for the first time as part of the Riviera collection. This limited edition of just 50 watches asserts a 40 mm steel version driven by a manufacture movement considered one of the finest in watchmaking. An emblematic watch of sports elegance that combines signature design with a movement recognized for its performance and a most fascinating mechanical complication, the Riviera Perpetual Calendar expresses the Brand’s established modern version of watchmaking expertise. The quintessence of Baume & Mercier style in a single timepiece.
A Baumatic Perpetual Calendar with a unique style for the 50th anniversary of the Riviera
In 1973, Baume & Mercier created a surprise by presenting a watch with a groundbreaking sport-chic look: the Riviera. Its distinctive design went on to make it the Brand’s iconic model for the next fifty years. This watch was unique, different and spectacular. Its steel case and twelve-sided bezel left their mark on watchmaking, breaking the rules of traditional style. From the beginning, its avant-garde design won over a new type of client seeking out casual uniqueness and athletic elegance. In fact, almost all “dress” watches were made of gold at the time. The visionary Baume & Mercier opted for steel. The style was both chic and sporty, so that the Riviera could be worn in the city or to the beach, to the office or on a weekend, at home or while traveling.
The design is the work of Jean-Claude Gueit, a watch designer who was a contemporary of Gérald Genta. When Jean-Claude Gueit created the Riviera, it was a totally new concept. Its nearly magical name brings to mind the water sports and sophisticated festivities of the French Riviera. With great commercial success, the Riviera collection represented the Baume & Mercier style throughout the 1990s, from Japan to the United States, and from other Asian countries to France, Switzerland and Italy. The first sport-chic watch designed for universal use, the Riviera has always challenged the status quo. As the free heir to the extraordinary watchmaking legacy of Baume & Mercier, the Riviera does it again this year with the Baumatic Perpetual Calendar version, proving that high watchmaking can rhyme with casual style. The Maison thus writes a major chapter of the Riviera saga with an unprecedented Perpetual Calendar with a timeless look that isn’t afraid to assert its personality to enhance the collection.
The Baumatic Riviera Quantième Perpétuel, a distinctive vision of high watchmaking
Its steel case, exquisitely structured lines and finely crafted watchmaking finishes speak for themselves. The Baumatic Riviera Perpetual Calendar never fails to impress. Its presence on the wrist is unquestionable, its personality distinctive.
In a steel case with a diameter of 40 mm and a thickness of just 11.8 mm, the new Baumatic Riviera Perpetual Calendar is equipped with a Baumatic manufacture movement with a Dubois-Dépraz module featuring a five-day power reserve and the most exemplary watchmaking finishes there are: circular-grained bridges, a sand-blasted and snailed baseplate, and a gold-plated oscillating weight that perfectly coordinates with the color of the dial, adorned with “Côtes de Genève” and snailed decorations, as well as the unique Baume & Mercier engraving. Its scratch-resistant sapphire crystal has an anti-glare coating on both sides, while the polished and sun-satin stainless steel bezel is fastened with four polished screws in the purest expression of the Riviera style. For an ultimate touch of refinement and exclusiveness, each timepiece bears a special “Limited Edition” number engraving.
A major addition to the collection, the Baumatic Riviera Perpetual Calendar echoes the historical model from 1987 that featured a complete calendar indicating the dates, days, months and moon phases. It may be inspired by its past, but it turns resolutely towards the future, even as the beautiful harmony of its dial points to the greatest times in watchmaking history. Its gold color with a vertical satin finish and the diamond-ground line surrounding each counter emphasize the dial’s functions. Vintage accents make an immediate connection between the past and present to better prepare for the future.
Its indexes are riveted and rhodium-plated. The skeletonized hour and minute hands are also rhodium-plated, and they stylishly complement the blued steel hand with a PHI counter-weight and polished and blued steel counter hands. The moon phase disk is also gold-plated and polished blue. Mounted on an integrated strap with three rows of links – with the central link adorned with decorative beveling –, this model features the very reliable exclusive strap interchangeability system which makes it possible to change styles in seconds without the need for tools. A truly different watch.
RIVIERA 10749 - A VARIATION OF THE BAUMATIC 10616 TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF RIVIERA
LIMITED TO 273 PIECES
For its 50th anniversary in 2023, the Maison is proud to revisit its Riviera Baumatic model by launching the “Riviera 50th Anniversary Special Edition” – limited to 273 pieces – paying tribute to the style and history of the collection.
This special edition features discreet yet exceptional elements such as the secret “1973” signature on the transparent blue sapphire dial, the Maison’s emblematic “Phi” logo on the counterweight of the seconds hand, and a blue ring in the case middle that adds even more sophistication to the piece.
The Riviera collection: five generations, one legend
This is the story of an illustrious watch: one like none other, one that has always been ahead of its time. The Riviera has been redesigned several times through the years, not only keeping up-to-date but truly setting the pace.
Launched in 1973, the Riviera immediately made a splash with its dodecagonal case and its slimline metal strap. It was already avant-gardist, though the Riviera name had yet to appear on the dial. In 1975, the concept was updated and made available with both self-winding and quartz movements: small, medium and large models were produced in steel, gold/steel, and solid gold.
A new generation was unveiled in the 1980s. The newly bicolor Riviera pursued its technical and aesthetic maturation, with its unmistakable name now appearing at 6 o’clock.
For the first time in 1981, it was made available as a diving watch in a style-pioneering sport-chic spirit. Its success was immediate.
Four years later, in 1985, the third generation of the collection was released. The bezel was reworked for a softer, less angular approach. The case and strap were also overhauled, and their polished and brushed surfaces helped create a more rounded look. The Riviera thus marked a turning point in terms of sophistication and reliability, including – among other features – a miniaturized screwed crown designed to improve its water-resistance. For its 20th anniversary in 1993, it strutted its style with a one-of-a-kind chronograph model. At the time, Baume & Mercier even created an unprecedented full-calendar Riviera in bicolor and solid gold versions, demonstrating its exceptional watchmaking savoir-faire. The Brand also introduced a version of the bicolor edition in a smaller diameter for ladies.
In 2004, the Riviera collection took on a twofold approach for its fourth generation with two variations, one classic and the other more athletic. For the “Classic” line, Baume & Mercier maintained the dodecagonal shape of the case, interpreting the dial with a variety of materials and configurations. As for the “Sport” range, the Riviera featured four screws on its bezel for the first time, asserting an athletic look that would stand the test of time.
The fifth generation, launched in 2021, carried forward its perennially fashionable sport-chic personality with a number of variations that only added to its character. In 2023, it celebrates its 50th birthday. It is still a trendsetter.
Founded in 1830 at the heart of Swiss Jura, the Baume & Mercier watch manufacture enjoys international renown. From its workshops at the heart of Swiss Jura to its headquarters based in Geneva, the Brand offers its clients the very finest timepieces. Borne by a complementary balance between an artistic approach to shape and watchmaking innovation in the service of the client, the Baume & Mercier House continues to mark the history of watchmaking by passing down the design and watchmaking expertise that is the Brand’s legacy. This savoir-faire perfectly corresponds with the spirit of cooperation between the Brand’s founders William Baume & Paul Mercier: where classicism meets creativity, tradition meets modernity, and elegance meets character... In a more contemporary way than ever. In 2021, Baume & Mercier unveils new, exacting models that demonstrate the Brand’s change of direction as it sets its sights on new horizons. Today, more than ever before, Baume & Mercier is designing a collective, collaborative, responsible watchmaking approach shaped by design and creativity in order to lay the ground for cooperation and the sharing of experiences. Still in step with the times, the Brand is proud of this dynamic energy and of its attentiveness to social progress.