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Baume & Mercier Classima 27mm Ladies Watch
Ref. BM0A10490
The Classima line has always sat at the quieter end of Baume & Mercier's output — dress watches drawn to read as jewellery without announcing themselves as such. At 27mm, this version is sized for a wrist where restraint is the intention, and the mother-of-pearl dial works in its favour: the surface shifts with the light in a way that nine brilliant-cut diamonds, totalling 0.67 carats and set in place of conventional indices, only sharpen. The date sits at three without disrupting the composition. On the wrist, 7.05mm of thickness disappears under a cuff or beside a shirt cuff, and the polished bracelet follows the line of the case without a visible break between them. This is a watch that earns its place by being unobtrusive when worn and rather more present when noticed.
- Reference
- BM0A10490
- Brand
- Baume & Mercier
- Case size
- 27mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Baume & Mercier
The Baume brothers opened a watchmaking business in Les Bois in the Swiss Jura in 1830, and built a substantial export operation through a London office. The company won significant honours at nineteenth-century observatory trials, including a record for a chronograph tourbillon at Kew that stood for years.
The modern company dates from 1918, when William Baume partnered with Paul Mercier in Geneva. Mercier brought design sensibility, and the house's Art Deco pieces of the 1920s — shaped cases, jewelled dials, and the Phi emblem representing the golden ratio — established a decorative direction it has largely kept.
Baume & Mercier was among the founding members of the Geneva Seal system and produced complications including minute repeaters and perpetual calendars in its earlier decades.
Its modern position is deliberately accessible: classical Swiss watchmaking at prices below the group's luxury tier, with the Clifton, Riviera, and Hampton collections covering round dress watches, integrated-bracelet sports watches, and rectangular Art Deco shapes respectively. The Riviera, introduced in 1973, was among the first steel luxury sports watches with an integrated bracelet, arriving a year after the Royal Oak.
The house has been part of Richemont since the group's formation, and produces around two hundred thousand watches annually.
- 1830
- The Baume brothers begin watchmaking in Les Bois.
- 1892
- A Kew observatory record is set with a chronograph tourbillon.
- 1918
- William Baume and Paul Mercier partner in Geneva.
- 1973
- The twelve-sided Riviera launches.
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,516), Watches Under 37mm (1,313) and Women's Watches (1,220).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 27mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | BM0A10490 | 5925-P-00300 | FC-200ONB1MC6B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,480 | £1,259 | £1,595 |
| Case size | 27mm | 28.1mm | 25.7mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £1,480. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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