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Baume & Mercier Riviera 39mm Mens Watch Blue
Ref. BMM0A10846
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Stepping up in Baume & Mercier's range
The Riviera's twelve-sided bezel traces directly back to the original 1973 design, and this current interpretation stays close to that geometry — the dodecagonal case in satin-finished steel is immediately recognisable as the same idea, half a century on. At 7.65mm thick it carries the integrated-case proportions lightly, sitting flatter against the wrist than the architectural shape might suggest. The blue dial repays attention. A sun-satin finish sits beneath a wave motif, and in angled light the two textures work against each other in ways that read differently through the course of a day. Rhodium-plated riveted indexes and Roman numerals lift cleanly from the surface without crowding it. The ETA F06.115 inside is a calibre chosen for the five-year battery life rather than for horological interest, which is a reasonable priority in a watch worn this way. The dark blue calfskin strap changes without tools, using Baume & Mercier's own quick-release system — a detail that makes seasonal rotation genuinely straightforward rather than a minor project.
- Reference
- BMM0A10846
- Brand
- Baume & Mercier
- Collection
- Riviera
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 7.65mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- ETA F06
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Baume & Mercier Riviera range (14), Stainless Steel Watches (2,624), Leather Strap Watches (844), Blue Dial Watches (708) and Dress Watches (451).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 39mm suits most wrists
- 7.65mm is unusually slim for a 39mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Baume & Mercier's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
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 | BMM0A10846 | R30023012 | YA163407 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,550 | £1,650 | £1,510 |
| Case size | 39mm | 39mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
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 men's, though at 39mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £1,550. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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