This year marks the 50th anniversary of the sporty Baume & Mercier Riviera collection, with the Les Brenets-based watchmaker already making noise in 2023 with the launch of the Riviera GMT earlier this month, but that isn’t the half of it. At Watches & Wonders 2023 Baume & Mercier has announced the launch of two more additions to the Riviera family, as well as a pair of new Hamptons models that firmly cement this year as one of the most important for the brand in recent memory.
It was back in 1973 that the Riviera was first released to the public, impressively one of the first watchmakers to release a steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet, following the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak but beating both Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin to the punch. While the Baume & Mercier Riviera remains under the radar of many watch enthusiasts, collectors are slowly beginning to understand its historical significance and everyday wearability and what better reason to turn our attention to the collection than its 50th anniversary? Let’s get into it.
Highlights From The 2023 Baume & Mercier Collection
Baume & Mercier Riviera Azur 300m
Turning 50 is a big deal and Baume & Mercier are going large with the half-century celebrations – literally. In one of the most highly specced examples of the Riviera to ever leave the brand’s factory, the Azur 300m steps things up in almost every way, from its rotating dive bezel and more intricate finishing to its outstanding movement and impressive water resistance of 300m.
The stainless steel Riviera Azur 300m arrives with options in both black and blue and measures a very wearable 42mm in diameter (with its thickness a little under 12mm), this new design also features an updated bezel design with a lacquered treatment highlighting the first 15-minutes of the bezel. The distinctive 12-sided bezel remains consistent with the original 70s Jean-Claude Gueit design but now boasts an anodized aluminium ring for extra grip, while the smoked dial serves as strong contrast for the larger hour and minute hands.
While the new design looks great, it’s the movement that should get you the most excited as one of the most impressive you’re likely to come across at this price. Powered by the manufactured Baumatic movement BM13-1975A, it serves up an excellent 120 hours of power reserve and has been tested to be accurate to -4/+6 seconds per day, which is a very compelling proposition indeed from Baume & Mercier. Price: AU$6,200 on rubber strap (blue) and AU$6,400 on bracelet (black).
Baume & Mercier Riviera 39mm
Not everyone loves a big watch and for those who prefer more heritage-inspired case sizing, the Baume & Mercier Riviera 39mm arrives with the same fifth-generation design as the rest of the collection, just with a diameter shrunk by 3mm. For many, 39mm is a very sweet spot when it comes to timepiece sizing and this new line-up features a trio of different dial colours including blue, dark grey and light grey that are each powered by the same BM13-1975A with a whopping 5-day power reserve.
The blue and dark grey are each cased in 39mm of stainless steel that measures 10.21mm from caseback to dial crystal, while the light grey reference enjoys a titanium construction with near identical case dimensions (0.1mm thicker, however) and a bezel ring made from 5N gold-plated PVD steel. This lightweight titanium reference comes with a matching light grey rubber strap, while the dark grey version features a stainless steel bracelet and the blue example has a rubber-backed blue alligator leather strap to secure itself on your wrist.
Baume & Mercier Hampton Collection
Within the Baume & Mercier line-up, the Hampton collection is one of its most classic styles with its elegantly proportioned rectangular case and dial that have been arranged according to the Greek golden ratio. The two gents’ styles on offer arrive in a two-tone blue reference that arrives on a matching blue alligator leather strap and a sliver dial model paired with a three-link steel bracelet.
The dial of the blue example boasts two different finishing styles, the inner of which has been sunray brushed while the outer feature a contrasting matte texture to great effect. The silver dial features a similar twin finish but without the sunray brushing, with applied silver hour markers with 12 and 6 o’clock numerals the same as the blue reference. Both feature the same steel 43mm by 27.5mm case dimensions, while the blue is powered by the automatic ETA 2671 movement and the silver features a quartz MHH057 movement with 8 years of battery life. Price: AU$4,100 for the blue automatic and AU$2,900 for the silver quartz.
