This year at Watches and Wonders 2024, Baume & Mercier is shifting its focus. While last year was almost exclusively centered around the brand’s Riviera line, this year sees three families getting attention, including the Hampton, Clifton, and Classima lines. This year Baume & Mercier adds the first chronograph to the Classima collection, a more elegant counterpart to the Riviera chronograph model. The Baume & Mercier Classima chronographs are presented in three colorways, two of which are new to the collection.
The Classima chronograph case is made from stainless steel and is fully polished, giving it an upmarket look. Measuring 42mm and a very reasonable 13.2mm thick, it features a sapphire crystal and tapering lugs that curve down around the wrist. This is not a groundbreaking case design, but it does manage to keep things thin for an automatic chronograph, many of which tower above 14mm. The watches are all paired with quick-release color-matched leather straps with fold steel buckles. There’s a push and pull that occurs between the case and dial. The case is polished and elegant, suggesting a dressier style, while the dial is sporty but has its own struggle going on with the leaf hands and no lume. The inverted pushers are certainly sportier, and yet you have the thin crown which suggests a more sophisticated timepiece. Everything does seem to come together nicely, but I could see this watch being a bit more cohesive with just a few tweaks.
Baume & Mercier opted for variety in introducing the Classima chronographs. There appears to be something for everyone, including blue with gold-tone accents (Ref. M0A10784), sand/anthracite (Ref. M0A10782; borrowed from a three-hand Classima model), and green/black (Ref. M0A10783). The sunburst dials feature the familiar layout of the ETA 7750 that powers them: 30-minute chrono counter at 12, day and date at 3, 12-hour chrono counter at 6, and running seconds at 9. The brand has smartly demarcated the snailed chrono counters for easy reading: on the sand and green dials, they appear in contrasting anthracite and black, respectively, while on the blue, they are surrounded by gilded rings. Leaf hands are found throughout, while each dial receives a contrasting 60-second flange which creates depth along with the polished applied baton indices. The dials show no evidence of lume application, positioning these models in a firmly dressy segment.
The new Baume & Mercier Classima Chronograph watches are all powered by the venerable ETA 7750 (the brand calls it a Valjoux 7750). Outside of the Swatch Group, the Swiss Made automatic 7750 chronograph has taken a backseat to the numerous options offered by Sellita but it remains a reliable workhorse movement (perhaps more deserving of the “workhorse” epithet than any other movement). The movement delivers a 48-hour power reserve at 28,800 vph. Many watches go with the 7750 balloon in size either to accommodate dial design or simply due to poor case design; as mentioned above, the brand has done a good job keeping the dial classy and the case as slim as possible.
This new chronograph model is just the second available in Baume & Mercier’s catalog. With the Riviera chrono, the brand now has a very sporty option and this dressier choice for consumers to choose from. Given the dimensions and the variety offered even with just three dials, there’s no reason these new models won’t be well received. Add to that a price that undercuts many of its direct competitors and the Classima chronographs are quite attractive indeed. The Baume & Mercier Classima Chronographs are priced at $3,200 USD. For more information, please visit the Baume & Mercier Website.
