Baume & Mercier has been on the rise recently with a spate of new and technically ingenious watches. This Swiss brand is showing the world that when it comes to watchmaking, they have the whole skill set. From chronographs to tourbillons, Baume & Mercier has been doing it all. This year, the brand has released a totally new watch with some very interesting complications.
Introducing the Baume & Mercier Retrograde Date Automatic. This dressy timepiece is crafted from solid, hypoallergenic stainless steel and it carries a not overly large case dimension of 43mm. Any smaller and the retrograde dial layout just wouldnโt work. The steel is polished, which also adds to its formal aesthetic.
The case back is mostly stainless steel with a large circular aperture made from sapphire crystal which through the wearer may admire the self-winding movement. The movement used on this watch is officially a Soprod 9094 but it is based on an ETA 2892 with the calendar modules attached. The movement is solid and boasts a power reserve of 40 hours.
The dial is white and it features the signature Clifton hour marker setup with Arabic numeral representing the even numbers and slender teardrop indexes marking the other positions. The hands and hour markers are gold toned and are completely without lume. On the flange is a very conservative minute track in blue print. At the 3 position is the retrograde date display. This is a bold step from Baume & Mercier as it is notoriously difficult to incorporate large retrograde displays seamlessly into dial layouts, especially if that isnโt the only complication. There is a days of the week counter at the 9 position and a power reserve indicator in retrograde at 6, thrown in for good measure.
The Baume & Mercier Clifton Retrograde Date Automatic is completed with a brown alligator leather strap. The price for this watch is $5,700, which makes it the second most expensive watch in the Clifton collection. The most expensive watch in that collection is the Clifton Flying Tourbillon, which we will review here in a couple of days.
