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Baume & Mercier () is a
Baume & Mercier was founded as "Frères Baume" in 1830 by brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, who opened the watch dealership in Les Bois, a village in the Swiss Jura. The Swiss watch manufacturer established a branch in
Baume & Mercier U.S.
Baume & Mercier UK
{{Authority control Richemont brands Luxury brands Swiss companies established in 1830 Manufacturing companies established in 1830 Swiss watch brands Watch manufacturing companies of Switzerland
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
*Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internati ...
luxury watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their part ...
founded in 1830. It is a subsidiary of the Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont
Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A., commonly known as Richemont, is a Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company founded in 1988 by South African businessman Johann Rupert. Through its various subsidiaries, Richemont produces and sells j ...
.
History
Baume & Mercier was founded as "Frères Baume" in 1830 by brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, who opened the watch dealership in Les Bois, a village in the Swiss Jura. The Swiss watch manufacturer established a branch in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1851 under the name "Baume Brothers", which led to expansion throughout the British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
. By the late 19th century, the company had an international reputation, and its timepieces had set accuracy records and won a number of timekeeping competitions.
In 1918, company director William Baume partnered with Paul Mercier to found "Baume & Mercier" in Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...
. The firm became specialized in manufacturing wristwatch
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached ...
es, particularly models in unconventional shapes. In 1919, Baume & Mercier was awarded the Geneva Seal, the highest international distinction of the time for watchmaking excellence.
During the Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the ...
, the brand embraced women's emancipation
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countr ...
. In the 1940s, Baume & Mercier launched a number of modern watch collections, most notably the 2 Register Chronograph
A chronograph is a specific type of watch that is used as a stopwatch combined with a display watch. A basic chronograph has an independent sweep second hand and a minute sub-dial; it can be started, stopped, and returned to zero by successive ...
. Early examples of this model with the double-caseback are rare and highly sought after, often fetching more than double the price of a later model.
In the 1970s, Baume & Mercier introduced shaped timepieces such as the Galaxie and Stardust models. In 1973, Baume & Mercier presented the Riviera, one of the world's first steel sports watches.
Recent history
In 1988, the Swiss watchmaker joined theRichemont
Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A., commonly known as Richemont, is a Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company founded in 1988 by South African businessman Johann Rupert. Through its various subsidiaries, Richemont produces and sells j ...
group. Currently, the brand offers the Clifton, Classima and Hampton collections for both men and women, the Capeland collection for men, and the Linea and Promesse collections for women. In 2015, Baume & Mercier bolstered its sports watch offerings by entering into a partnership with the celebrated American race carmaker Carroll Shelby International. In 2016 the company sold " Shelby Cobra" models, named for the sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
, in its Capeland and Clifton collections.
Pricing
With an average selling price of between US$2,000 and US$7000, Baume & Mercier watches are in the lower-range luxury watch market. In 2016, Baume & Mercier began to present more affordable offerings under US$1,000 with the launch of its "My Classima" models, a sub-collection of its Classima collection of classic dress watches.See also
* *References
External links
Baume & Mercier U.S.
Baume & Mercier UK
{{Authority control Richemont brands Luxury brands Swiss companies established in 1830 Manufacturing companies established in 1830 Swiss watch brands Watch manufacturing companies of Switzerland