BAUME ET MERCIER
The history of BAUME AND MERCIER
Baume & Mercier began as "Frères Baume" in 1830, when brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume started a watch shop in Les Bois, a Swiss Jura hamlet. In 1851, the Swiss watchmaker opened a branch in London under the name "Baume Brothers," which led to further expansion across the British Empire. The firm had a worldwide reputation by the late nineteenth century, and their clocks had established accuracy records and won a number of timekeeping competitions.
William Baume, the company's director, teamed up with Paul Mercier to form "Baume & Mercier" in Geneva in 1918. The company became known for producing wristwatches, particularly those with unusual forms. Baume & Mercier received the Geneva Seal, the highest worldwide recognition for watchmaking quality at the time, in 1919.
The brand championed women's freedom throughout the Roaring Twenties. Baume & Mercier introduced a variety of innovative watch lines in the 1940s, including the 2 Register Chronograph.Early instances of this type with the double-caseback are extremely uncommon and expensive, frequently costing more than twice as much as subsequent models.
Baume & Mercier introduced curved clocks like the Galaxie and Stardust models in the 1970s. The Riviera, one of the world's first steel sports watches, was introduced by Baume & Mercier in 1973.
The Swiss watchmaker became a member of the Richemont company in 1988. The Clifton, Classima, and Hampton collections are available for both men and women, as well as the Capeland collection for men and the Linea and Promesse collections for women. Baume & Mercier increased their sports watch products in 2015 by partnering with Carroll Shelby International, a well-known American racing car manufacturer. In 2016, the business introduced "Shelby Cobra" models in its Capeland and Clifton collections, named after the sports automobile.
Baume & Mercier watches fall under the high-end luxury watch category, with an average selling price of between US$2,000 and US$5,000.
With the introduction of its "My Classima" models, a sub-collection of its Classima series of traditional dress watches, Baume & Mercier began to showcase more economical alternatives under $1,000 in 2016.