Baume & Mercier’s Fifth-Era Riviera Watches Now Come In 39mm Dimension

2023 is a handy yr for Baume & Mercier to be pushing the Riviera as a result of it occurs to be the fiftieth anniversary of when Baume & Mercier initially got here out with the Riviera assortment. In 1973, it was fairly frequent for males’s watches with angular bezels to be in the marketplace, however now we glance again on the period with some reverence since as we speak, such fashions are significantly well-received available in the market. Though watch lovers appear to be intensely hungry for daily-wear watches with angular case designs, the market is rapidly getting very crowded. To remain aggressive, Baume & Mercier is including a 39mm-wide measurement model of its fifth- era Riviera, which itself debuted in 2021 with 42mm-wide circumstances.

The 39mm-wide sizes of the Riviera function the identical high-performance Baumatic mechanical motion and magnificence because the bigger variations, with solely modest beauty variations. The smaller measurement provides extra folks the power to put on this timepiece platform, which Baume & Mercier additional hopes will attraction to girls in addition to males.

At this time, Baume & Mercier is a model that is kind of targeted on retail community distribution. That’s what helped the corporate surge to reputation within the Nineteen Nineties, and it appears positioned to be offered in third-party licensed supplier retailer places. A lot of that’s inferred by Baume & Mercier’s timid advertising and explicit value level. There appears to be little push to get watch fanatics to the model’s web site and the upmarket pricing is suggestive of being at that stage to include a gross sales margin for retailers. The concept is that relatively than strive too laborious to market Baume & Mercier as a model to most of the people, the corporate will provide a classy and high-quality product with a beneficiant fee alternative to retailers. Which means whereas few prospects come into the shop particularly asking for a Baume & Mercier Riviera, the salespeople are incentivized to translate client curiosity into buying one among these watches. It’s a time-honored and vital approach to get numerous watches onto pleased wrists.

The previous couple of Baume & Mercier watches I’ve seen have been actually properly made, and the Baumeatic motion is very competent. I sang its praises again when the corporate debuted this new in-house caliber and to remind you of its advantages, I’ll begin by discussing its 5 days of energy reserve and comparatively excessive stage of magnetic resistance. The aim of the automated motion was to supply lengthy energy reserve and lot of environmental resistance. Since its launch, Baume & Mercier has included the Baumeatic actions in lots of its top-selling fashions. The 4Hz motion options the time and date and is seen by a semi-skeletonized dial, in addition to by the sapphire crystal caseback on the rear of the watch.

On this smaller kind, the Riviera case is 39mm-wide and 10.3mm-thick. Over the dial is an AR-coated sapphire crystal, and the case is water resistant to 100 meters. Notice that Baume & Mercier makes use of a quick-release system that enables suitable proprietary straps and bracelets to be simply swapped out — although most variations of the Riviera 39mm seem to solely include one strap possibility.

Baume & Mercier hasn’t fairly gotten the fifth-generation Riviera dial to have the daring and sporty pop of the fourth-generation mannequin that got here out within the early 2000s. The dials are legible sufficient, although, and it’s a matter of style for those who just like the view of your complete motion prime and date wheel displayed opaquely by the highest smoked sapphire crystal part of the watch face. For early 2023, Baume & Mercier is providing three totally different types of the Riviera 39mm, which incorporates two fashions in metal and one in titanium (although a lot of the bezel is in metal). Sadly, just one mannequin comes on a bracelet (the black dial metal model). I feel it will be nice if Baume & Mercier would contemplate a full titanium bracelet for the latest-generation Riviera.

It’s secure to say that shops is not going to have to attend too lengthy till there are further variations of the Riviera 39mm-wide watch obtainable. That in all probability consists of extra strap and bracelet combos, in addition to new dial colours and types. Baume & Mercier will in all probability wish to have just a few stable (non-transparent) dial choices in the marketplace, in addition to to (hopefully) experiment with new hour markers and arms. For now, a lot of the attraction will proceed to be the 10-sided geometric Riviera case design and the compelling motion. Individuals going to multi-brand watch shops in search of a “good Swiss Made watch with an built-in bracelet that may be worn every day” will in all probability hear lots in regards to the Riviera 42mm and 39mm. Value for the Baume & Mercier Riviera 39mm M0A10714 in metal on the strap with the blue dial is 3,600 Swiss Francs, whereas the reference M0A10715 in metal with the matching bracelet and black dial is 3,600 Swiss Francs, and the reference M0A10720 in titanium on the strap is 3,950 Swiss Francs. Study extra on the Baume & Mercier web site.