Tick off your fave details in two new watches
You can tell a luxury timepiece manufacturer is really swinging for the fences when it uses the quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” to explain its new brand, but that’s how watch designer Sylvain Berneron framed the Richemont Group’s launch of the eco-friendly — and wallet-friendly at $560 to $1,100 — Baume watch on a mid-May day in Malibu. The name references Richemont’s 188-year-old Baume & Mercier brand. Berneron’s words came to mind when, less than 48 hours later at a watch preview in Beverly Hills, I was handed a breathtakingly beautiful Rolex. The gem-set, rose-gold version of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona — the bezel set with 36 baguette-cut sapphires in a seamlessly blending rainbow gradation — sells for about 173 times as much as an entry-level Baume. Because Los Angeles is the kind of place you’re likely to encounter both these pieces of wrist candy in the wild, here’s a side-by-side comparison.
Baume
The Iconic (pictured) has a partly recycled aluminum case; custom versions are offered in black-, silver- or gold-colored stainless steel with up to two lines of custom engraving on the case back.
Black, 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (or PET) (pictured) band made from plastic ocean waste reclaimed by Brussels-based Waste Free Oceans. Natural, upcycled or recycled fabrics used in other interchangeable button-on straps (with buttons made from corozo nuts) include cotton, linen and cork and color options include gray, red, blue and burgundy.
Miyota 82D7 automatic movement; 40-hour power reserve for the Iconic version or quartz movements (Ronda 6004D, Miyota 6P20 or Miyota JR00; all with 40-month power reserve) for the custom-designed watches.
Located at the 12 o’clock position on the top of the case is a placement that is a nod to the history of the Baume & Mercier heritage and allows for an easier and less wasteful future expansion into pocket-watch styles.
Unveiled in Malibu on May 15, the custom watches are made to order to avoid waste; available online at www.baumewatches .com and delivered free worldwide within 15 days. The Iconic timepiece ships within 48 hours of order receipt. Price: $560 to $1,100