What better way to celebrate a gastronomic partnership, than in the kitchen of an award-winning chef? Baume & Mercier and Pierre-André Ayer, known as Pierrot, chairman of Les Grandes Tables de Suisse and chef of Le Pérolles restaurant in Fribourg, evidently thought so. The watchmaker took the opportunity to introduce its latest Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar, which was unveiled at the SIHH in January. The theme of the event was the moon, which governed everything on the menu, even down to the choice of wine. WorldTempus had the opportunity to discover the delights of a seasonal cuisine that respects the lunar cycles.
Winemaker Christian Vessaz, who owns the Domaine du Cru de l’Hôpital, opened the evening with a presentation of some of his wines, which are made from grapes grown according to biodynamic principles and observance of the lunar calendar. “As it waxes and wanes, the moon has an influence on the land, and consequently on the wine. When we respect the cycles of the moon, we get a better quality product.”
Alexandre Peraldi, Baume & Mercier’s design director, who was also among the guests, said, “This partnership is interesting because it’s on a human scale. It’s the real things, honest relationships, that really appeal to us. Moments like this are extraordinary; they’re so much warmer than a regular press conference.” Alexandre Peraldi was visibly delighted to be with Pierrot Ayer in his own kitchen at Le Pérolles, and was happy to follow the chef’s culinary advice. As Pierrot Ayer pointed out: “What Baume & Mercier have in common with myself is passion, quality, and an appreciation of good things.”
Around ten dishes were served, including asparagus with morel mushrooms, home-made meat-stuffed pasta parcels in a lobster bisque, veal carpaccio, and foie gras served in a number of ways. The final course was a tribute to the star watch complication of the day: the moon phase. The chef wowed his diners and made an impression on their tastebuds with a chocolate dessert in the shape of a watch. “All the food is produced with respect for nature and its seasonal cycles, to give the highest possible quality. Like in watchmaking, if you want a good result you need to have good raw materials,” explains Pierrot Ayer.
The chef, who was awarded 18 points by Gault & Millau, and who has a reputation for reinterpreting the classics of regional cuisine, was presented with a watch from Baume & Mercier’s Clifton Complete Calendar collection, a timepiece that embodies the values of watchmaking tradition and excellence.
Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar
Baume & Mercier’s new timepiece echoes the exceptional attention to detail that goes into fine gastronomy. The watch, which comes in three versions, has a classical, minimalist design, and is equipped with a Valjoux 7751 automatic movement. The date is indicated by the blued central hand, with the day and month in two apertures at 12 o’clock and a day/night indicator at 9 o’clock. The moon phase display is located on a register at 6 o’clock, where a moving disc performs one complete revolution every lunar month, or 29.5 days. Two further counters on the dial, distinguished by blued steel hands, show the chronograph minutes and hours. The snailed finish and Geneva striping on the rotor are visible through the sapphire case back.
