William Baume Collection

Baume & Mercier's William Baume collection is composed exclusively of watches crafted in keeping with the finest traditions of Haute Horlogerie, produced in limited, numbered series and powered by complicated movements specially manufactured for Baume & Mercier.

The four new watches in the collection renew ties with the watch brand’s origins by revisiting the complications inseparably entwined with its historical patrimony. Each of these models has its own history and most of them are inspired by iconic historical Baume & Mercier watches.

William Baume Single Push Piece Chronograph

A complication that is both useful and aesthetically pleasing, the single push-piece chronograph watch serves to start, stop and reset short times by pressing a single pusher.

It thereby also streamlines the aesthetic of the case side by integrating the crown and two pushers into a single element, compared with three separate elements on conventional chronograph watches. This newcomer to the William Baume collection derives its historical legitimacy from a wristwatch with a single push-piece chronograph function introduced by Baume & Mercier in 1938.

Entirely in tune with the contemporary design of the William Baume line, the silvered dial of the new model reflects the two horizontal counters of the original: the small seconds counter at 9 o’clock and the chronograph minute at 3 o’clock.

The chronograph seconds are read off as usual by the central hand. The silvered dial is adorned with a “Vieux Panier” guilloché décor and a sun satin-finish on the rings surrounding the chronograph counters and the chapter ring. The mechanical hand-wound movement, with its circular-grained mainplate, bridges graced with “Côtes de Genève” and blued steel screws, can be admired through a broad sapphire crystal window in the case-back. The 18K red gold XL-sized (41 mm) case is teamed with a hand-stitched chestnut brown alligator strap.

Limitd  numbered edition of 20 watches.

William Baume Flying Tourbillon

The gravity-defying tourbillon is one of the most prestigious horological complications and one of the trickiest to create. The rotation of its carriage compensates for the effects of gravity and thereby serves to increase the precision of the watch.

In 1892, the “Frères Baume” company set an absolute precision record at the chronometry competition held in the Kew Observatory in England with a tourbillon chronometer, acclaimed as the most accurate watch of its time.

Today, Baume & Mercier revisits this specialty through its most aesthetically pleasing and most technologically accomplished interpretation, the flying tourbillon. Contrary to a classic tourbillon, which is held by two upper and lower bridges, the flying tourbillon is secured exclusively by its arbor, thus affording free views of its spectacular spinning motion.

Another distinctive feature of this new watch in the William Baume collection lies in the unusual and extremely elegant 9 o’clock position of its tourbillon escapement. The dial adorned with a “Vieux Panier”  decor is also enlivened by a small seconds display at 6 o’clock.

The hand-wound mechanism featuring bridges embellished with “Côtes de Genève”, blued steel screws and a circular-grained mainplate can be admired through a broad sapphire crystal window in the case-back. It is endowed with a 52-hour power reserve.

The new edition of the William Baume Tourbillon watch is distinguished from the first edition by its black dial and its black hand-stitched alligator strap. The XXL (43 mm) case glows with the radiance of 18K red gold to highlight this exceptional creation.

Limited, numbered edition of 10 watches.

William Baume Ultra Thin Watch

Ultra-thin watches have always been synonymous with superior elegance and extreme technical sophistication. Baume & Mercier began to specialize in ultra-thin watches from 1920 onwards, and in 1965 the brand caused a sensation with the thinnest self-winding calendar watch of its era.

Baume & Mercier is now offering a new expression of its expertise in this field with this new William Baume Ultra-Thin model. It differs from the previous version by three new features.

The WB-UT002 movement manufactured by Valfleurier for Baume & Mercier is even more efficient, endowed with a power reserve amounting to 60 hours compared with 40 hours for the previous model.

The watch is also 0.4 mm thicker while nonetheless remaining ultra-thin with a 6.2 mm profile. The case-back is now open to reveal the mechanical hand-wound movement, admirably adorned with “Côtes de Genève” on the mainplate and bridges, along with blued steel screws. However, this new edition retains its silvered dial with “Vieux Panier” guilloché décor, its elegant “javelin” shaped hands and its hand-stitched chestnut brown strap. Its XL 41 mm case is crafted in 18K red gold.

Limited, numbered edition of 179 watches.

William Baume Retrograde Second Watch

The retrograde second function divides time in two: its large hand counts off 30 seconds across a graduated arc of a circle, before jumping instantly back to its starting point to begin measuring the 30 following seconds. Originally invented to save space on the dial for the display of numerous complications, it also provides a fascinating visual treat by performing its fascinating ballet.

For this retrograding interpretation of the William Baume collection, the small seconds display is highlighted by a “serpentine” shaped hand in a 30-second sector in the lower part of the dial. This model also features a large date at 12 o’clock, a complication serving to display large date numerals by using two separate disks for the tens and the units.

This new edition of the William Baume Retrograde Second watch is distinguished from the first version by its black dial and its black hand-stitched alligator strap. Its mechanical self-winding movement may be admired through the broad sapphire crystal window in the case-back, revealing the circular-grained finish on the mainplate and bridges, the snailed barrel, the blued steel screws and the openworked oscillating weight adorned with “Côtes de Genève” and stamped with the Baume & Mercier “Phi” symbol. Its 18K red gold case comes in a 41 mm XL size.

Limited, numbered edition of 179 watches.

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