Baume and Mercier watch Automatic 1199 Baumatic AS 1863 Vintage

A BIT OF TRIVIA

Baume & Mercier’s story begins in 1830. Brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume opened a comptoir horloger (watch dealership) in Les Bois, a village in the Swiss Jura. The Baume brothers’ business grew rapidly, and true to their motto, “accept only perfection, only manufacture watches of the highest quality”, they forged a fine reputation through the creation of exceptional timepieces featuring the latest innovations.

At the beginning of the 1920s, the company director William Baume joined forces with Paul Mercier. Together, they founded Baume & Mercier, Genève, in 1918. The firm soon became one of the most active in the field of wristwatches by offering remarkably balanced special-shaped models. In 1919, it was awarded the highest international distinction of the time in the shape of the “Poinçon de Genève” quality hallmark. During the Roaring Twenties and throughout the Art Deco period, the brand established its style and left an indelible mark on watch design. Paul Mercier knew that it was essential for the brand to live in step with its time and embrace change. The firm grasped the importance of women’s emancipation and came to regard their desires as an unquenchable source of inspiration. In the late 1940s, Baume & Mercier launched one of its most successful models: the Marquise. Impelled by this creative momentum, the brand creates a number of exquisitely creative and amazingly modern ladies’ watches. It thereby proved that watches for women are not merely miniaturized and simplistic interpretations of masculine models. At the same time, Baume & Mercier was becoming known among a public looking for new products, and launched its first innovatively shaped wristwatches. These chic, urban watches kept step with life’s many special moments by embodying an art of living instilled with inimitable elegance.

Constantly demonstrating its creativity, Baume & Mercier unveiled innovatively shaped timepieces during the 1970s, such as the Galaxie and the Stardust, which won prestigious international awards including the Golden Rose of Baden-Baden. In 1973, Baume & Mercier brought out the Riviera, one of the world's first steel sports watches. In 1988, the firm joined the Vendôme group, now Richemont, and enriched its collection with a number of successful models which immediately established themselves as the brand’s flagship lines.

OUR THOUGHTS

Baume et Mercier places a huge amount of focus on using high-quality materials and movements to build luxurious timepieces that are sure to last for generations.  This shows with this 1199. They really stuck to there moto; accept only perfection, only manufacture watches of the highest quality, which makes this a fantastic value vintage watch, perfect to go on into the future with you.