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Baume & Mercier Classima 31mm Ladies Watch
Ref. M0A10478
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Stepping up in Baume & Mercier's range
The Classima line reaches back to the dress watches Baume & Mercier built in the 1960s, pieces prized for how little they intruded on the wrist while remaining unmistakably considered. This reference carries that logic forward: a round case at 31mm, only 5.95mm deep, that disappears beneath a cuff the way a dress watch should. The bezel is set with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 0.24 carats, and they frame the mother-of-pearl dial closely enough that the two read as a single surface rather than a border around one. Roman numerals at twelve and six, index markers elsewhere, and rhodium-plated leaf hands give the dial a vocabulary that has not dated because it never chased a moment. The Ronda 704 inside is Swiss-made and thoroughly adequate for what this watch is asked to do.
- Reference
- M0A10478
- Brand
- Baume & Mercier
- Collection
- Classima
- Case size
- 31mm
- Case thickness
- 5.95mm
- Lug width
- 15mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- Ronda 704
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
- Warranty
- 2 years
- 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 4 collections
This watch appears in the Baume & Mercier Classima range (10), Stainless Steel Watches (3,033), Watches Under 37mm (1,612) and Women's Watches (1,505).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 31mm 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
Baume & Mercier Classima alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | M0A10478 | R22243703 | MWW06G000014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,680 | £2,750 | £2,299 |
| Case size | 31mm | 31mm | 31mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | 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.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
15mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
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, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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