The Riviera Baumatic Tideograph is a passionate ode to the ocean—its sun-satin blue dial light dappling across the open waters, while its tide-measurement abilities embody the sailing spirit of the region. Limited to just 500 pieces, the watch is made with a 42mm satin-polished stainless steel dodecagonal case that houses the self-winding Baumatic manufacture movement with a five-day power reserve, and its caseback is engraved with “Special Edition One Out of 500”.

To demonstrate the extreme reliability of its manufacture movements, in 2023 Baume & Mercier announced a six-year extension to its standard two-year warranty for any model equipped with a Baumatic caliber, which can be activated by registering on the Baume & Mercier website. 

The tide level can be read on the sandblasted and snailed blue high and low tide indicator located at 6 o’clock, and can be adjusted with the push-button at 4 o’clock. On the main dial, the Roman numerals at 12 o’clock and rhodium-plated riveted indexes at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock are coated with white Superluminova for a complementary blue glow, while its rhodium-plated seconds hand bears the Baume & Mercier Greek Phi logo as a counterweight. The watch comes with a built-in blue rubber strap with a canvas pattern, which is easily interchangeable without the need for tools.

The second timepiece Baume & Mercier has unveiled ahead of Watches and Wonders is the limited-edition Hampton Polyptyque Edition – Musée Soulages 10th Anniversary. It is the second watch that the brand has created inspired by the late French painter Pierre Soulages and his artwork, Peinture 324 x 362 cm, 1986, Polyptyque I Edition.

“Pierre Soulages is connected with Baume & Mercier on many levels: humanistic and artistic, cordial and technical, and through the museum and timepieces that bear his name. The first ‘Hampton Hommage à Pierre Soulages’ timepiece, released in February 2022, was a testimonial to Baume & Mercier’s admiration for the great artist Pierre Soulages,” said David Chaumet, CEO of Baume & Mercier, upon the unveiling of the watch.

“The second watch that we dedicate to him, which we are revealing today, represents the materialisation of our dream: the creative embodiment of our connection. This one is inspired by our first encounter with the artist in person, in June 2021, when Pierre Soulages and his wife Colette invited us to their villa in Sète. It was at the precise moment when he suggested that we place a delicate touch of gold on each of the watch hands that we understood the extent to which he wanted to help us consider the design of the first watch, as well as those to come.”

Pierre Soulages was known for his signature black paintings, and his artwork Peinture 324 x 362 cm, 1986, Polyptyque I Edition was part of a series of such black monochrome paintings called Outrenoir. In this series, Soulages’ approach to black is made even more powerful by the fact that it stretches across several panels in vast dimensions.

To recreate the various nuanced textures and layers of black found in Peinture 324 x 362 cm, 1986, Polyptyque I Edition on a surface as small as a wristwatch, Baume & Mercier used 3D printing technology. Measuring just 48.11 x 31 mm, the dial of the Hampton Polyptyque Edition – Musée Soulages 10th Anniversary is virtually a miniature of the painting, and manages to achieve a similar effect of contrasting light and dark on vertical and diagonal strokes as the original.

Electrolysis makes it possible to plate the dial with black in a thickness of just 0.2 microns, and a coat of semi-matte protective glaze is also applied in a thickness of 10 microns to retain the volume and texture of the dial. Housed in a black sandblasted steel-DLC case, this miniature work of art is complemented by black hour and minute hands tipped with semi-spheres in rose gold, a special touch which the artist himself had suggested, as well as the words “Baume & Mercier” engraved in metallic letters on underside of the sapphire crystal. The underside of the case is also protected by a sapphire crystal, which is engraved with “Hommage à Pierre Soulages n° xxx/328”, indicating the unique number of each limited-edition piece. 

The watch is powered by an automatic mechanical Swiss movement (ETA 2892) with a 42-hour power reserve. It comes with a matching deep black cellulose strap lined in apple leather that its equipped with an interchangeable spring bar system.

Visit the Baume & Mercier website to find out more about the Riviera Baumatic Tideograph and Hampton Polyptyque Edition – Musée Soulages 10th Anniversary.

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