Styles
American
Japanese
Swiss
Other Brands
AD
X
Baume et Mercier Watches
We are a part of eBay Affiliate Network, and if you make a purchase through the links on our site we earn affiliate commission.
Baume & Mercier, or Baume et Mercier as it’s called in its native Switzerland, has roots reaching all the way back to 1830. That’s when two brothers, Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, began manufacturing pocket watches in the village of Les Bois,...
Baume & Mercier, or Baume et Mercier as it’s called in its native Switzerland, has roots reaching all the way back to 1830. That’s when two brothers, Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, began manufacturing pocket watches in the village of Les Bois, which is nestled in the Jura Mountains very near the watchmaking mecca of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The reputation of Baume Brothers grew quickly, and by the 1850s, it boasted a branch in London.
Throughout the rest of the 19th century, Baume Brothers would do well in the U.K. and other countries with its chronographs and grand complication watches, winning Grand Prix and gold medals at numerous international competitions. In 1892, this record of watchmaking excellence would culminate at London’s Kew Observatory, where a Baume Brothers chronometer pocket watch with a tourbillon movement, which counteracted the effect of gravity on the escapement, achieved a level of precision that would stand for a full decade.
In 1918, after World War I, Baume & Mercier was established when William Baume, the grandson of Louis-Victor, joined forces with a Geneva jeweler named Paul Mercier. Baume made the movements while Mercier made the cases and dials. Just a few years later, in 1921, a Baume & Mercier watch was awarded a prestigious Poinçon de Genève, a true honor for the young partnership. Vintage Baume & Mercier watches from these early years are considered highly collectible today.
Throughout the 1920s, Baume & Mercier grew by leaps and bounds. One reason for its success was its decision to make wristwatches for women that were more than mere slimmed-down versions of the wristwatches the company manufactured for its male customers. This decision was definitely in keeping with the times, as women in the United States and, later, United Kingdom were finally granted voting rights equal to men. Accordingly, Baume & Mercier’s wristwatches for women were modern and sophisticated.
After World War II, Baume & Mercier launched yet another model for women, the Marquise, which resembled an elegant gold bangle—some Marquise models had covers to give the watch an even sleeker look, as well as to protect its crystal. By the 1950s, though, Baume & Mercier’s wristwatches for men were more conservative in appearance, featuring typical-looking gold cases and leather straps, with dials that ranged from unadorned to crammed with chronographic complications.
Then, in 1964, the Swiss luxury watch brand Piaget purchased a majority stake in Baume & Mercier, making it their middle-class watch, albeit with an average price tag of around $2,500. Piaget also modernized the line, phasing out mechanical movements in favor of quartz during the 1970s. Some of the new models introduced during this period included the geometrically eccentric Galaxie and a sport watch with a luxury-sounding name, the Riviera, which was a tough-looking timepiece of gold and steel with a 12-sided bezel. To test the Riviera’s durability, Baume & Mercier engineers famously mounted one to the wheel of a BMW race car to see how well it could handle the rigors of 24 hours at Le Mans.
Other vintage Baume & Mercier wristwatches of note from the second half of the 20th century include the Medicus (think of it as a railroad watch for physicians), which displayed the date and featured a pulse scale. The Avant Garde was a sports watch whose case and face was made of tungsten carbide laced with strips of gold. And the Linea was a chunky, gold-plated 1980s watch whose design recalled the look of the 1940s and ’50s.
Today, Baume & Mercier continues to produce widely regarded wristwatches. One of its most popular models is the Hampton, quite deliberately named after a prime playground of the rich and famous. The brand’s most deluxe models, though, are its Haute Joaillerie, which somewhat uncharacteristically for Baume & Mercier are accented with precious gemstones. As for its ladies watches, they have been known to feature tiger-eye dials and handsome gold straps.
Continue readingBaume & Mercier, or Baume et Mercier as it’s called in its native Switzerland, has roots reaching all the way back to 1830. That’s when two brothers, Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, began manufacturing pocket watches in the village of Les Bois, which is nestled in the Jura Mountains very near the watchmaking mecca of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The reputation of Baume Brothers grew quickly, and by the 1850s, it boasted a branch in London.
Throughout the rest of the 19th century, Baume Brothers would do well in the U.K. and other countries with its chronographs and grand complication watches, winning Grand Prix and gold medals at numerous international competitions. In 1892, this record of watchmaking excellence would culminate at London’s Kew Observatory, where a Baume Brothers chronometer pocket watch with a tourbillon movement, which counteracted the effect of gravity on the escapement, achieved a level of precision that would stand for a full decade.
In 1918, after World War I, Baume & Mercier was established when William Baume, the grandson of Louis-Victor, joined forces with a Geneva jeweler named Paul Mercier. Baume made the movements while Mercier made the cases and dials. Just a few years later, in 1921, a Baume & Mercier watch was awarded a prestigious Poinçon de Genève, a true honor for the young partnership. Vintage Baume & Mercier watches from these early years are considered highly collectible today.
Throughout the 1920s, Baume & Mercier grew by leaps and bounds. One reason for its success was its decision to make wristwatches for women that were more than mere slimmed-down versions of the wristwatches the company manufactured for its male customers. This decision was definitely in keeping with the times, as women in the United States and, later, United Kingdom were finally granted voting rights equal to men. Accordingly, Baume & Mercier’s wristwatches for women were modern and sophisticated.
After World War II, Baume & Mercier launched yet...
Baume & Mercier, or Baume et Mercier as it’s called in its native Switzerland, has roots reaching all the way back to 1830. That’s when two brothers, Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, began manufacturing pocket watches in the village of Les Bois, which is nestled in the Jura Mountains very near the watchmaking mecca of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The reputation of Baume Brothers grew quickly, and by the 1850s, it boasted a branch in London.
Throughout the rest of the 19th century, Baume Brothers would do well in the U.K. and other countries with its chronographs and grand complication watches, winning Grand Prix and gold medals at numerous international competitions. In 1892, this record of watchmaking excellence would culminate at London’s Kew Observatory, where a Baume Brothers chronometer pocket watch with a tourbillon movement, which counteracted the effect of gravity on the escapement, achieved a level of precision that would stand for a full decade.
In 1918, after World War I, Baume & Mercier was established when William Baume, the grandson of Louis-Victor, joined forces with a Geneva jeweler named Paul Mercier. Baume made the movements while Mercier made the cases and dials. Just a few years later, in 1921, a Baume & Mercier watch was awarded a prestigious Poinçon de Genève, a true honor for the young partnership. Vintage Baume & Mercier watches from these early years are considered highly collectible today.
Throughout the 1920s, Baume & Mercier grew by leaps and bounds. One reason for its success was its decision to make wristwatches for women that were more than mere slimmed-down versions of the wristwatches the company manufactured for its male customers. This decision was definitely in keeping with the times, as women in the United States and, later, United Kingdom were finally granted voting rights equal to men. Accordingly, Baume & Mercier’s wristwatches for women were modern and sophisticated.
After World War II, Baume & Mercier launched yet another model for women, the Marquise, which resembled an elegant gold bangle—some Marquise models had covers to give the watch an even sleeker look, as well as to protect its crystal. By the 1950s, though, Baume & Mercier’s wristwatches for men were more conservative in appearance, featuring typical-looking gold cases and leather straps, with dials that ranged from unadorned to crammed with chronographic complications.
Then, in 1964, the Swiss luxury watch brand Piaget purchased a majority stake in Baume & Mercier, making it their middle-class watch, albeit with an average price tag of around $2,500. Piaget also modernized the line, phasing out mechanical movements in favor of quartz during the 1970s. Some of the new models introduced during this period included the geometrically eccentric Galaxie and a sport watch with a luxury-sounding name, the Riviera, which was a tough-looking timepiece of gold and steel with a 12-sided bezel. To test the Riviera’s durability, Baume & Mercier engineers famously mounted one to the wheel of a BMW race car to see how well it could handle the rigors of 24 hours at Le Mans.
Other vintage Baume & Mercier wristwatches of note from the second half of the 20th century include the Medicus (think of it as a railroad watch for physicians), which displayed the date and featured a pulse scale. The Avant Garde was a sports watch whose case and face was made of tungsten carbide laced with strips of gold. And the Linea was a chunky, gold-plated 1980s watch whose design recalled the look of the 1940s and ’50s.
Today, Baume & Mercier continues to produce widely regarded wristwatches. One of its most popular models is the Hampton, quite deliberately named after a prime playground of the rich and famous. The brand’s most deluxe models, though, are its Haute Joaillerie, which somewhat uncharacteristically for Baume & Mercier are accented with precious gemstones. As for its ladies watches, they have been known to feature tiger-eye dials and handsome gold straps.
Continue readingMost Watched
ADX
Best of the Web
Club & Associations
ADX
AD
X