baume & mercier classima executives strap

While Baume & Mercier may be best known for its entry-level luxury watches (usually under $5,000), every now and then it likes to pull out the big guns to show off what it can really do. The William Baume Collection, named after the brand’s contemporary paternal figure, features the manufacture’s line of haute horlogerie pieces, including two exclusive jumping hour watches. You’ve never seen a Baume & Mercier like this before, but something tells us you’ll want to see more of them. 90 Uniqueness First things first, there are only 40 of these watches going to be made. On top of that, you can be sure the first pieces will be going to collectors and other friends of the brand. The jump-hour movements display the hour in a “digital” readout, reading only one hour at a time. The minute register resides around the hour display and the seconds register sits at 6 o’clock. The Baume & Mercier William Baume Jumping Hour is a throwback to a bygone era of horology, and these limited-edition William Baumes are a modern twist. Read more 87 Durability Baume & Mercier has been around for 180 years and it’ll be around for at least another 180 -- it has a strong brand following (even among Ace baseball players), and since it is owned by the Richemont Group, it can rely on the resources of its bigger brothers to get by. In fact, it is safe to assume that some of the parts used in this $20,000 Baume & Mercier came from some of the more luxurious brands in the Richemont stable, like A. Lange & Sohne, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and IWC.

Originally introduced in 2005, the Classima collection by Baume & Mercier honors the traditional codes of Swiss watch*** and at the same time exudes an amazingly contemporary feel. Elegant and functional, these watches have easily transcended into modern men's rigorously busy life.Now, the brand unveils its Classima Automatic Jumping Hour Limited Edition men's watch to add to the line mentioned. Imbued with discreet masculinity and modern sense of energy, the timepiece conveys a true spirit of the collection. The timekeeping companion in question boasts a 42 mm case, sculptured in steel. The case is instantly identifiable thanks to its refined design. It features noble lugs and a winding crown, located at three o'clock. The case construction is 30-meter water-resistant.The peerless artisans have also endowed the new Baume & Mercier watch with a sapphire crystal case-back. It opens the view to the customized oscillating weight, embossed with the brand's PHI symbol. The oscillating weight is integrated within an automatic Dubois Depraz 14400 movement, skillfully embellished with Cotes de Geneve pattern.This mechanism serves to animate a jumping hour function as well as those of minutes and seconds. They are presented on a silvered "barleycorn" guilloched dial. The face of the model reveals two overlapped counters. They are completed with black Arabic numerals as well as riveted dots and indexes. The lower sub-dial is in charge of the seconds. The upper counter, meanwhile, indicates minutes and a jumping hour, which appears in the aperture at 12 o'clock.The new Baume & Mercier watch is teamed with a black alligator leather strap, fitted with an adjustable triple folding. Strictly limited to just 500 units, the model is scheduled for launching in fall, 2011.Discover a fine range of Baume & Mercier watches: