Baume
et Mercier - (en)
Baume et Mercier is a Swiss watchmaking company founded in 1830. It is
owned by Richemont, and with Cartier and Piaget they make up the core of
the group. This enterprise is represented in 75 countries and produces
around 200,000 watches a year. The most important markets are in Europe,
especially Italy, Spain and France. Baume et Mercier is distributed by 220
exclusive retailers worldwide and has established itself as a manufacturer
of sporty chronographs.
History
In 1834, members of the Baume family founded the Societe Baume Feres in Le
Bois. The Baumes had already been active in watchmaking for many years. At
first, the priority went to enameled pocket watches. In 1844 Joseph
Celestin Baume went to England to set up business relations there. Watches
signed "Waterloo", "Diviko" and "Sirdar"
opened distant markets in Australia and New Zealand. The family company
gave convincing proof of its dedication to mechanical elegance and
precision when one of its timepieces won the 1893 timing competitions at
the Kew-Teddington Observatory with a score of 91.9 out of a possible 100.
In 1912, William Baume met the watchmaker and jeweler, Paul Mercier, at
the Geneva watch and jewelery shop in Haas. The meeting resulted in the
signing of an agreement on the 26th of November, 1918, for the
establishment of Baume and Mercier in Geneva. This proved to be a very
successful enterprise, and in 1921 they were awarded the coveted Poincon
de Geneve, official recognition of flawless quality products. Watches
dating from this period are now rare collectors pieces, worth thousands of
dollars. In 1937 William Baume withdrew from active business. He was
followed into retirement by Paul Mercier, and the jeweler Constantin de
Gorski joined the company.
Post World War II
After World War II Baume and Mercier concentrated on conventional men's
watches, sports chronographs and ladies' jewelery watches. In 1965 the
Piaget family outbid international competition for control over Baume and
Mercier. One of the world's thinnest calendar watches with a mini rotor
was produced under Piaget's aegis. In the same year the new owners swiched
to electronic tuning fork movements, and from 1970 increased investments
in quartz movements. At the end of the 1983, Baume and Mercier temperarily
ceased production of mechanical watches. In 1988, Christian and Yves
Piaget sold 60% of their stake to Piaget holding S.A, also selling Baume
and Mercier S.A TO Cartier Monde S.A in Paris. In 1993 the Cartier group
became sole owners of both Piaget and Baume and Mercier.
Recent Times
In September 2004 Baume and Mercier opened a new production building in
Les Brenets, Switzerland. For the past few years Baume and Mercier has
made a name for itself as a trendsetter, and by no means was this done
solely on the strength of characteristically fashionable watches. Models
such as the "Riviera" and the "Hampton," named after
the stylish resorts and high-society meeting places of the U.S East Coast,
defined a new watch style in the 1980's and 1990's, for both genders..
Old Models
Classiqe
Riviera Baumematik
Shogun
Formula
Marquis
Avant Garde
Medicus
Riviera
One of the company's most successful watches was the Riviera, launched in
1980. This was a sports watch with distinctive gold and steel features and
an unusual 12 sided bezel. To test its durability and precision, this
watch was mounted on the wheel of a BMW M1 before the start of the Le Mans
24-hours race. It withstood high speeds as well as the pressure of fast
acceleration. It was not affected by the centrifugal force of spinning
wheels, nor by heavy rainfall or intense heat from the overworked disk
brakes. At the end of the race the watch ran with as much precision as it
had at the beginning.
New Models
Hampton Classic
Hampton Classic
Hampton Classic Diamond
Hampton Milleis Chronograph
Hampton Milleis Gold
Hampton Milleis
Hampton City Chronograph
Hampton City
Hampton Spirit
Capeland S Chronograph
Capeland S Ladies
Capeland S Ladies Diamond
Classima Executives XL Dual Time
Classima Executives XL Small Seconds
Classima Executives White Dial
Classima Executives Black Dial
Classima Subsidiary Seconds
Classima Sweep Seconds
Linea
Riviera
Vice Versa
Diamant
Selector
Haute Joaillerie collection
