This Watch

We have here a stunning, neo-vintage, Baume & Mercier wristwatch from the 1990s.  The super sharp white dial looks crisp and clear through the slightly curved, sapphire glass.  The simplicity of the 12 o'clock Roman numeral and date function at 6 o'clock give the watch an elegant sense of symmetry.  

The substantial, 25x40mm, polished stainless steel case houses the automatic caliber ETA 2000, as used by Cartier, fully serviced by us and running strongly.  The watch comes paired on a blue leather strap to make the dial sing and, unusually, the watch came to us on a Cartier deployment.  Sometimes people prefer a deployment strap, and we liked the look it gave to the watch, so we've left them together!

Check out our salmon-coloured dial version here!

Extra Points 

Baume & Company, founded in 1844, was a London-based partner and importer of the Swiss company Baume Frères.  By 1876, Baume & Co. were the sole importers of Longines watches, among others, to Britain, a title they held until the 1960s.  Baume Frères took over the London side of the business in 1909 and moved the company to Switzerland where they manufactured watches under the 'Baume' name, to then be imported to Britain.  William Baume left the family business in 1919 and established his own company in Geneva with a friend, Paul Tcherednitchenko who had adopted the name of Mercier, and together they formed Baume & Mercier.  However, apart from blood relations, there is no other connection between Baume Frères and Baume & Mercier and the former owned the rights to the Baume name in Britain.  This meant that Baume & Mercier were unable to market their watches in Britain until Baume & Co. ceased trading in the 1960s.  Baume & Co. also constructed the 25 foot 'Festival Clock' for the Festival of Britain in 1951.  Baume & Co. only joined the Baume & Mercier brand a few years ago when it was revived with an emphasis on being environmentally responsible.

As with all our stock this piece comes fully serviced by our on-site workshop and with a 12 month, non-waterproof service cover.

What we think

I love this Baume & Mercier model and its one of my favourite watches this month in the neo-vintage style.  It is the perfect watch for a vintage watch newbie who prefers the look without the patina, or anyone looking for a great piece at a small price.  You'll be sure to get lots of people asking you about this special watch!  It is a comfortable fit and looks great on both men and women.  A real design winner from B&M!

Spec Stuff