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Baume & Mercier Riviera 42mm Mens Watch Grey
Ref. BM0A10660
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Stepping up in Baume & Mercier's range
The Riviera name goes back to 1973 and a twelve-sided case that was drawn to sit at the border between sport and dress — a watch that could move between contexts without requiring a change. This iteration keeps that geometry, pairs the steel case with a sandblasted titanium bezel held by four visible screws, and adds a gold-plated PVD ring that throws a line of warmth between the matte grey of the bezel and the lacquered slate dial beneath it. The wave decoration running across that dial is tone-on-tone, readable only when the light catches it at an angle, and the gilt dauphine hands carry the same warm register as the ring. On the wrist, 10.66mm sits surprisingly slim for a 42mm automatic with this much material in the case, and the HNBR rubber strap has a texture that holds without gripping. The triple-adjustment buckle makes fit genuinely precise rather than approximate.
- Reference
- BM0A10660
- Brand
- Baume & Mercier
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
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 (2,624), Automatic Watches (1,472) and Grey Dial Watches (217).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Baume & Mercier Riviera alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | BM0A10660 | L38124636 | 129766 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,900 | £2,950 | £3,035 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 72 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £2,900. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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