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Baume & Mercier Riviera 36mm Unisex Watch Mother Of Pearl
Ref. M0A10663
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Stepping up in Baume & Mercier's range
The Riviera's twelve-sided case is a direct echo of its 1970s origins, when the dodecagonal silhouette set the line apart from the round orthodoxy of the time. This reference keeps that geometry intact — the bezel set with four diamonds totalling 0.11ct, the same angular logic carried through to a sapphire caseback secured by four screws, so the automatic movement visible beneath it is framed in the same twelve-sided shape. The mother-of-pearl dial shifts between cool white and faint iridescence depending on the angle, and the dauphine hands — grey, with Super-LumiNova — read cleanly against it without competing. The bracelet integrates into the case in the manner the Riviera has always insisted upon, and the interchangeable strap system means the fit can be changed without tools. At 9.57mm thick, it sits close enough to the wrist to disappear under a cuff, which a dressed watch at this size should.
- Reference
- M0A10663
- Brand
- Baume & Mercier
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
- Strap
- Interchangeable
- 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 (2,624), Automatic Watches (1,472) and Watches Under 37mm (1,363).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 36mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 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 | M0A10663 | 397 | R30029902 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,250 | £3,380 | £2,950 |
| Case size | 36mm | 36.4mm | 35mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Ceramic bracelet |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 43 hours | 80 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?
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?
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 unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £3,250. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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