Baume & Mercier Geneve

If you haven't heard of Baume & Mercier, a quick check of Wikipedia will tell you...

Baume & Mercier was founded as "Frères Baume" in 1830 by brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, whom opened the watch dealership in Les Bois, a village in the Swiss Jura. The Swiss watch manufacturer expanded internationally by establishing a branch in London in 1921 under the name "Baume Brothers", which led to expansion throughout the British Empire. By the late 19th century, the company had an established 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. The firm became specialized in manufacturing wristwatches, particularly unconventionally "shaped" models that did not possess the traditional round form. In 1919, Baume & Mercier was awarded the Geneva Seal, the highest international distinction of the time for watchmaking excellence. During the Roaring Twenties, the brand embraced women's emancipation. In the 1940s, Baume & Mercier launched a number of modern watch collections, most notably the 2 Register Chronograph. Early examples of this model with the double case backs 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.

Today they are part of the Richemont Group.

What makes this watch so interesting, from a vintage perspective, is the wonderful patina on the dial. The lume has mellowed to a perfect "coffee color" in the skelotonized hands and in the dial marker dots. It just looks fantastic. The slate-colored dial is in great condition and the 15 jewel movement is spotless. What a great watch...don't miss it!

We here at Father Time always keep an eye peeled for nice examples of their manufacture and when we find a nice one we grab it! Such is the case with this very interesting Baum & Mercier military watch made circa 1942. It is "brand new/old stock" meaning that it is in "like-new" condition and was never sold or worn. When you take a look at the "Zoom-In" views, you will see a purple coating of lacquer that was the protective coating put on the back of the watch at the factory before the watch was shipped to the retailer. Somehow, this one escaped being sold and the coating was never removed. This is all the better for us today. The only thing we had to do to restore it to perfect functioning condition was to clean and oil the watch. It is in a stainless steel case that has a solid lug which is an indicator of how it was intended to be used and the time period from which it came. We have the original band, but due to its age, we did not deem it to be a reliable holder for the watch. We will give you the original band (and the original hang tag) along with this modern one we have fitted-up to allow daily use.

Father Time Antiques
2108 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
773-880-5599
Father Time Antiques