Baume & Mercier launches new collection

Posted April 28, 2020 | By Arabella Roden • Former editor

Swiss watch brand Baume & Mercier has debuted several watches through the Watches & Wonders Geneva online platform, including the new Hampton Collection and additions to the Clifton Baumatic line.

The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FH), which organises Watches & Wonders Geneva, announced the show would take place in a digital format for 2020, beginning on Saturday 25 April, following the cancellation of the physical event due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Watches & Wonders 2020, despite the physical cancellation of the event, marks the start of a new motion for our maison"

David Chaumet, Baume & Mercier

Watches & Wonders Geneva was previously known as the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH); Baume & Mercier, a subsidiary of luxury group Richemont, previously exhibited at SIHH each year from its inaugural show in 1991.

As part of the brand’s online presentation Time In Motion, David Chaumet, CEO Baume & Mercier, was quoted as saying, "Watches & Wonders 2020, despite the physical cancellation of the event, marks the start of a new motion for our maison."

The latest Baume & Mercier launches include contemporary collection based on its Hampton timepiece – which was itself based on an archival piece from the brand’s 190 years of history.

Inspired by Art Deco architecture, the new men’s and ladies’ Hampton watches feature a distinctive curved rectangular case in polished steel and are available in small, medium and large sizes to suit a wide variety of consumers.

“We are thrilled to introduce a new vision for our Hampton Collection. Creativity and Art Deco remain the pillars of this true icon of the maison and were infused in the new range," Chaumet said in the presentation.

Two models from the Hampton Collection, as shown in Baume & Mercier's digital presentation for Watches & Wonders Geneva.

“We were fully dedicated into the rebirth of this collection, simplifying the design to the closest of its origin and of its essence, while reworking all of the details with a focus on every content – notably on the face and the case of the timepiece.”

The watches are mounted on metal bracelets which can be interchanged; calfskin straps for the ladies’ models are available in a choice of more than 10 colours including coral and sky blue.

The Clifton Baumatic Collection has also been expanded with three new models housing the Baumatic BM14 and BM13 in-house calibres.

The watches add new functional features to the classic Clifton circular dial, including moon-phase, day, and date. They are also available in luxurious finishes, including 18-carat rose gold.

A spokesperson for Baume & Mercier said, “Clifton Baumatic is the Baume & Mercier collection dedicated to finest watch-making expressing elegance and refinement. These new pieces reinforce the traditional watch character of this elegant, timeless collection.”

View full release of the Hampton collection, and the Clifton collection. Baume & Mercier is distributed by Duraflex Group Australia.