Covid-19 ?
We’ll have to wait and see if this progresses from an epidemic to a genuine pandemic. Yes, of course it’s worrying. The virus is primarily impacting Asia, where clearly we have a strong presence, but our presence there is balanced with the rest of the world. Europe remains our primary market, and we also have a strong presence in the United States. Globally, our brand is evenly spread over all the continents.
Vintage ?
There’s fashion, and there’s heritage. They are two different things. The vintage vogue is still with us, although it seems to be less strong now than it has been. Heritage is a completely different matter, however, and it’s very important for Baume & Mercier. We are among the top 10 oldest continuously operating watch brands in Switzerland. The new Hamptons are very close to the originals, and we will continue to enhance the historic content of our future products. We have some very fine timepieces, we have a heritage manager, and who knows, perhaps at some point we might think about creating a Baume & Mercier museum, without losing sight of the fact that our brand is all about that perfect balance between heritage and innovation.
Baumatic ?
We’re very happy with it. The results of the Clifton collection are very good, and this year we’ll be releasing some new complications on the Baumatic movement, as we announced. Day, date and moon phases will be gradually added to the collection. We’ll be making some minor adjustments to the formats, to give the watch better presence on the wrist. We want to make it more contemporary, without detracting from the 40 mm models, which have performed extremely well commercially. The first watches were COSC certified, but the new complication models won’t be. We decided that the new collections offer enough content as they are. Finally, we might eventually envisage putting a Baumatic inside a Hampton. It wouldn’t be difficult to adapt the movement.
Gender parity?
It’s important for us to have an equal offering for men and for women, even though these days the lines can be somewhat blurred. Our 40 mm three-handed Baumatic is worn by both sexes. At the same time, we have considerably expanded our performance in terms of women’s watches, with our range of interchangeable straps. They can be swapped not only from one model to another, but from one collection to another, thanks to standardised lug widths. Today, women can buy a bracelet for their Classima and transfer it to their Hampton, if they choose.
Vision ?
It’s about reinvigorating Baume & Mercier, driving it forward. There will be changes; I’m not going to deny that. We will be redefining our playing field. It’s not about being disruptive; it’s about tapping into the zeitgeist, for example by working on bolder designs. We are one of the very few brands that appeals to both men and women, from the age of 18 up to... as old as you like! We have very strong potential.
