Baume & Mercier certainly seems to have chosen to speak to women this year! First with the introduction of Joia, a new round, lugless collection designed as a little jewel that tells the time. In the same vein, here comes the Hampton in an XS version. While Joia embraces curves and organic shapes, the Hampton XS draws on right angles and structured lines. The circle and the rectangle, the pebble and the edge, softness and structure… Two distinct design languages serving the same ambition: to appeal to women.
Baume & Mercier and Women, a Long-Standing Story
Baume & Mercier’s relationship with women is not new. As early as 1918, when William Baume and Paul Mercier joined forces, women’s watches were at the heart of the project: the two partners sensed that women, becoming more independent, had a new relationship with watches and that there was an object to be reinvented. The haute fantaisie creations of the 1920s quickly earned the brand recognition in this field. The following decades continued this dialogue with cuff watches in the 1970s and gem-set creations in the 1980s, before the connection somewhat loosened as the maison gained greater visibility through its sports lines and its men’s or unisex timepieces. Joia, followed by the Hampton XS, deliberately reconnects with women.
The Hampton, a Rectangle Against the Current
Here is a platform worthy of the ambition. The Hampton collection belongs to that discreet yet enduring family of shaped watches, those that reject the circle in favor of the rectangle, a choice that, in watchmaking, always says something, particularly about an era and a taste. For the Hampton, inspiration must be drawn from Art Deco: taut lines, symmetry, calculated proportions, that geometry of the 1920s that brought modernity into the decorative arts. The maison cites a model from the 1960s as its inspiration, with the collection launched in 1994. And Michael Guenoun, the brand’s CEO, presents this rectangular shape as a deliberate break with the aesthetic codes of its time. Worn by men and available as a chronograph, the collection occupied distinctly unisex territory. The XS format now fits perfectly into the mini-watch trend and reveals its seductive side.
The XS Format, the Icon Becomes More Feminine
With its 28 × 17.75mm case (just 6.3mm thick), the XS version of the Hampton does more than simply shrink: it clearly shifts into a different register. We might even say that it deliberately embraces the language of jewelry. This shift can be seen at the center of the watch. The new dial, faceted along its four edges like a cut stone, does away with all indexes and is perceived as a gem: light fractures across its surface, revealing bright and dark facets depending on the angle. Minimalism ceases to be simply a matter of restraint and becomes a decorative principle, a way of treating the timepiece as a precious object rather than an instrument. The Hampton does not merely evoke jewelry, it adopts its cut, in the lapidary sense of the term. The rest follows. The new metal bracelet, whose links form a succession of diamond shapes, extends the geometric language of the case all the way around the wrist, while remaining supple and comfortable.
So Many Ways to Embrace it and Wear it
Within the same silhouette, the collection comes in four references, each offering a different way to wear the watch. The first (M0A10859) features a steel case with a sun-brushed silver-colored dial worked in relief, gold-colored sword-shaped hands, the Phi logo at noon, all paired with a taupe calfskin strap. The second (M0A10860) takes up this same vocabulary with the new polished and satin-finished steel diamond-link bracelet: this is the most architectural version, the one that embraces its graphic lines all around the wrist. The third (M0A10861) is even more luminous with its steel case, rose gold-colored PVD treatment, and black calfskin strap. Finally, the last (M0A10862) dresses for the evening: its case is adorned with 28 brilliant-cut diamonds, while a black dial complements the steel diamond-link bracelet. From one reference to another, the same quartz movement and a closed caseback that can be engraved. One detail completes the ensemble and adds to the precious character of this delicate little jewelry watch: the crown, set with a black agate. Each version features an interchangeable spring-bar system that can be operated without tools. Changing the strap and switching from leather to steel therefore takes just a few seconds. The Hampton XS is not a static piece; it becomes an accessory that can be matched to an outfit, a mood… and thus to the personality of the woman who wears it.
One question remains: should you lean towards Joia or the Hampton XS? Rather than considering each watch separately, let us look at the overall approach. By bringing together a piece inherited from the 1980s and a silhouette inspired by the Art Deco of the 1920s, Baume & Mercier embraces nearly a century of feminine design and wisely refrains from choosing between them. The task is simply impossible… so here is one piece of advice: embrace both!
FAQ:
Q: What Defines a Women's Rectangular Watch?
A: A women's rectangular watch belongs to the tradition of so-called shaped watches, which move away from the round case in favor of straight, geometric lines largely inspired by the Art Deco designs of the 1920s. Characterized by clean lines, symmetry, and carefully balanced proportions, this aesthetic is embodied by the Baume & Mercier Hampton XS, whose 28 × 17.75 mm case measures just 6.3 mm thick. The Maison has offered this distinctive silhouette since the Hampton collection debuted in 1994.
Q: What Is a Women's Jewelry Watch?
A: A women's jewelry watch is designed first and foremost as a piece of fine jewelry, where aesthetics and precious materials take precedence over timekeeping alone. The Baume & Mercier Hampton XS is a refined example of this concept, featuring a faceted dial without hour markers that catches the light like a cut gemstone, a crown set with black agate, and, on one version, a case adorned with 28 brilliant-cut diamonds.
Q: How Does an Interchangeable Watch Strap Work?
A: An interchangeable watch strap can be swapped without tools thanks to an integrated quick-release system, allowing the wearer to switch from a leather strap to a metal bracelet in just seconds. On the Baume & Mercier Hampton XS, all four references feature this system, making it easy to alternate between a calfskin leather strap and the new polished and satin-finished stainless steel bracelet with diamond-shaped links.
Q: What Is the Baume & Mercier Hampton XS?
A: The Baume & Mercier Hampton XS (also spelled Baume et Mercier Hampton) is the miniature version of the Hampton collection, the Maison's signature rectangular-shaped watch line. Introduced in 1994 and inspired by a design from the 1960s, it features a 28 × 17.75 mm case measuring 6.3 mm thick. The collection is available in four references—stainless steel, rose gold PVD, or diamond-set versions—all powered by quartz movements.
