In 1869, Louis-Victor Baume, co-founder of the Maison Baume, gave his daughter Mélina a richly decorated gold pocket watch for her first communion. He had the watch engraved with the words, “To our dear child”. This gesture might be the origin of a tradition of celebration that the watchmaker has nurtured for many years, encapsulated in its slogan, “Life is about moments”. Whatever the truth of the matter, Baume & Mercier continues to present itself as a watchmaker that celebrates life’s important, rare and special moments, those moments that remain etched in the memory, whose emotional weight can be marked by the gift of a watch.
Almost a century and a half after Louis-Victor Baume’s gesture, Baume & Mercier’s website has a special section on the theme of presents. Birthdays, anniversaries, marriages, engagements and births go without saying, but there are also corporate gifts, gifts to celebrate graduation, a first job or a diploma, and of course the inevitable Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Visitors just have to identify the occasion they are celebrating, and the intended recipient – man or woman – to be presented with an appropriate selection of watches. Whether it’s a pretty Hampton or a Linea with double-wrap strap for a young mother, a Capeland chronograph for a son-in-law’s promotion or a Promesse for your fiancée, Baume & Mercier offers a wide range of watches appropriate for any symbolic occasion. Some models can be engraved with a personal message on the back.
Baume & Mercier’s latest creations are a his-and-hers duet of Classima timepieces in 18 karat red gold (references 10271 and 10270). The models in this collection, with their understated elegance, slim profile and timeless style, are a particularly appropriate gift for close relatives or couples. The two new Classima watches, which share a strong family resemblance, are resolutely unadorned: the polished 39 mm and 31 mm cases – which are 7.7 and 7.8 mm deep, respectively – frame a white dial with Roman numerals and gilt applied indices, enlivened by gilt hands. A discreet window at 3 o’clock displays the date in black on white.
The only difference between the two versions is that the men’s version has a minute track comprising 12 tiny circles on each hour and slender lines for the minutes. An anti-scratch sapphire crystal protects the dial and, on the caseback, a sapphire glass gives an unimpeded view of the movement.
Both watches are driven by an ETA 2892 automatic movement beating at 28,800 vph, with a power reserve of 42 hours. Particular care has been taken with the finish of the rotor, which is decorated with Geneva striping and snailing, in keeping with the attention to detail evident on the exterior of the watches. An alligator strap secured by a gold plated pin buckle completes the classic styling of this watch duo.
