Dial Tones: Baume & Mercier Releases Two New, Ice-Blue Clifton Baumatic Limited Editions

We watch journos are always talking about brands that deserve more attention from the collecting community. Baume & Mercier is one of the names that keeps popping up in the discussion.

Specifically, the Clifton Baumatic. This 1950s-inspired collection offers everything a 21st-century watch lover wants: an in-house movement, a respectable five-day (120-hour) power reserve, and magnetic resistance up to 1500 gauss (more than the dearly departed Rolex Milgauss). And as far as pricing goes, it offers a lot of luxury at an attractive price.

Baume & Mercier is beloved – after all, the brand is still here after 196 years. The modern marque has all the qualities that enthusiasts profess to admire. Even so, one could say the brand doesn’t get the love it deserves.

Now, the maison is offering two new limited editions within the Clifton collection: a Baumatic Automatic 39mm with date (CHF 3,300) and a Baumatic Perpetual Calendar 40mm (CHF 16,800). And they might have you seeing Baume & Mercier in a new light.

Bringing It Back

When the Clifton Baumatic launched at SIHH in 2013, it seemed poised to be a breakout hit. Vintage design codes were all the rage, thanks to the influence of the long-running TV series Mad Men, and these watches were the horological equivalent of Don Draper’s tailored suits and skinny ties.

Moreover, they not only featured the Clifton family’s classic mid-century modern architecture (i.e., round cases with double bevels, fine dial finishing, thin Alpha-style hands, and applied hour indices), but they were also the first Baume & Mercier watches to feature the in-house, chronometer-certified Baumatic movement.

While that retro ‘50s aesthetic remains today, both of the recently released Clifton Baumatic models are moving it forward thanks to their exclusive ice-blue guilloché dials.

Keeping It Light

Here’s why the timing of these launches is auspicious. This power duo addresses the fact that contemporary tastes are leaning toward smaller, more elegant dress watches.

For example, the polished- and satin-finished stainless-steel case of the Clifton Baumatic Automatic 39mm (CHF 3,300) is only 11.22mm thick. However, its thinness never feels flat thanks to details like an anti-glare, scratch-resistant domed sapphire crystal. Plus, a see-through caseback allows you to admire the manufacture self-winding Baumatic movement.

But the real revelation is the ice-blue, guilloché dial. Combined with the shiny surface of the Baumatic’s case (which was redesigned last year), this frosty dial is, according to Baume & Mercier, all about finding “a new expression of light.”

Finishing Touches

The Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar 40mm (CHF 16,800) is a little more ambitious in its execution. On the dial, it showcases the same icy blue guilloché as the 39mm while displaying the hour, minutes, and seconds; the day, date, month, with a leap-year indication; and a moonphase.

The bridges are decorated with circular graining. The main plate has a snailed finish; the gilded open-worked oscillating weight of the manufacture self-winding Baumatic movement with a Dubois-Dépraz module adorned with Côtes de Genève and snailed decors.