Some luxury watch brands, such as Rolex and Omega, are household names—even in houses that know nothing about haute horology. Others, like Baume & Mercier, are less well known. But flying under the radar has its perks, not least when it comes to price.
Baume & Mercier watches are sleek, tasteful, superbly well-crafted, and, most excitingly for watch fans, pretty affordable too. A Baume & Mercier watch always looks more expensive than it is—and who can say no to that?
At a glance
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| Industry: Watches | Founded: 1830 |
| Headquarters: Switzerland | Founder: William Baume and Paul Mercier |
| Watch Collections: dress watches, sports watches, and women’s watches | Parent organization: The Richemont Group |
| Annual Revenue: $155 million USD | Website: baume-et-mercier.com |
Baume & Mercier watch price
How much does a Baume & Mercier watch cost?
The starting price for an entry-level Baume & Mercier watch is $600 for a Baume quartz watch date display. Baume & Mercier watch prices for a Baume & Mercier Riviera begin at $1,800. At the other end of the spectrum, some Baume & Mercier watches reach over $26,000.
What is the most expensive Baume & Mercier watch?
The most expensive Baume & Mercier watch is the Baume & Mercier William Baume Flying Tourbillion at $75,000, a new edition of the brand’s William Baume Tourbillon. The watch is limited to just 10 editions across the world.
See how this compares to the world’s most expensive watches.
What is the cheapest Baume & Mercier watch?
The cheapest Baume & Mercier watch is a Baume Quartz Date Display, currently retailing for $600. You can also pick up a timeless Baume & Mercier Classima for $1,050. Baume & Mercier watch prices for a Baume & Mercier Riviera start at $1,800.
About Baume & Mercier watches
History of Baume & Mercier
The Baume & Mercier story begins in 1830 when brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume opened a watch shop in Les Bois in the Swiss Jura. Quickly establishing a reputation as a producer of exceptional and innovative timepieces, the business began to expand and a branch was soon set up in London under the name Baume Brothers.
By the late 19th century, Baume & Mercier enjoyed an international reputation, known for its chronographs and grand complications, particularly minute repeaters, calendars, and tourbillons.
William Baume forged a partnership with Paul Mercier, founding Baume & Mercier in Geneva in 1918. By 1919, the brand had already been awarded the Geneva Seal quality hallmark, the highest distinction at the time.
In 1940, the brand launched its Baume & Mercier Marquise, a gold bangle-style watch and one of its most popular models ever. This began the company’s foray into women’s watches—in particular, watches with unconventional shapes.
In 1973, the brand released the Baume & Mercier Riviera, one of the world’s first steel sports watches. The engineers famously tested its strength and durability by mounting it to the wheels of a BMW race car for the notorious 24 hours Le Mans race.
Also during that decade, the brand launched the Baume & Mercier Stardust, which won the coveted international Golden Rose of Baden-Baden award.
In 1988, Baume & Mercier joined the Richemont Group and has since expanded its collection with numerous successful models.
Interesting facts about Baume & Mercier
- Baume & Mercier won the Kew time trials in 1892 at the Kew Observatory with a score of 91.9 which remained unbeaten for over a decade.
- The company also won ten Grand Prix awards and seven gold medals at international exhibitions.
- Baume & Mercier partnerships include a collaboration with French skateboarder Aurelien Giraud with a watch featuring upcycled parts of a skateboard.
- Brand ambassadors for Baume & Mercier range from Michelin-starred chef Michel Roth to professional surfers and tennis players as well as singers and actors.
Baume & Mercier product range
Baume et Mercier watches can be divided into two categories—although there is obviously an overlap between them.
First, you have the brand’s dress watches. These include the Baume collection, the company’s most recent release, and among the most affordable timepieces on offer. There’s also the famous Baume & Mercier Clifton collection and Art Deco-inspired Baume & Mercier Hampton collection as well as the Baume & Mercier Classima watch series. All are perfect black-tie attire.
Then there’s the Baume & Mercier Riviera, the company’s range of sports watches, with water resistance of up to 100 m and a dodecagonal case.
Signature materials and craftsmanship
Baume & Mercier’s specialty and expertise lie in producing chronographs and minute repeaters. The brand is also known for creating beautiful and complex women’s watches, back at a time when many watchmakers only offered smaller and simpler versions of men’s watches for women.
Baume & Mercier is also committed to responsible business practices. It is a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, which promotes responsible ethical, social, and environmental practices in the supply chains of jewelry and watchmaking.
The company also only uses leathers that respect the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), ensuring that no wild animals or plants are threatened by trade. What’s more, as a more sustainable alternative to alligator leather, Baume & Mercier has launched the Banka Leather Strap made with trout skins.
Baume & Mercier have also collaborated with students at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London to explore more circular, ethical, and sustainable material techniques for watchmaking. The resulting projects included electronic cables repurposed as vegan leather straps.
Where is Baume & Mercier made?
Baume & Mercier watches are made in the company’s manufacture in the Swiss Jura in Les Brenets. The company’s headquarters are in Geneva. Here, many measures are taken to reduce energy consumption, such as the use of heat pumps and geothermal probes to maximize heat exchange and a free-cooling system with a condensation boiler.
Brand values
| Vegan options: | No |
| Carbon-neutral: | No (but partial offset) |
| Gives back: | Yes |
Baume & Mercier watches
We’ve shortlisted the most popular Baume & Mercier watch models to help you understand the luxury watch’s large collection and the recommended retail prices of each model.
Baume & Mercier Baume
One of the brand’s more recent collections, the Baume & Mercier Baume watch series is a selection of impeccably elegant dress watches with a simple and timeless aesthetic, offering versatility and low-key luxury. Look out for straps lined with cork for optimal comfort, interchangeable straps, and a crown at 12 o’clock, as well as cases made from a range of materials including steel black PVD, recycled plastic, and even skateboard decks.
| Price: | $600 – $1,700 |
| First release year: | 2021 |
| Current case size: | 35 mm – 42.2 mm |
| Movement: | Automatic and quartz |
| Water resistance: | 30 m |
| Crystal: | Sapphire |
Baume & Mercier Clifton
The Baume & Mercier Clifton watch series is defined by its classically round cases, Alpha hands, and minimalist hour indexes, as well as Arabic numerals for the earliest models. These were the first of the brand’s watches to feature the in-house chronometer-certified Baumatic movement. Choose a Baume & Mercier Clifton watch for effortless refinement and technical reliability.
| Price: | $3,250 – $26,800 |
| First release year: | 2013 |
| Current case size: | 39 mm – 42 mm |
| Movement: | Automatic |
| Water resistance: | 50 m |
| Crystal: | Sapphire |
Baume & Mercier Hampton
Taking its design cues from the iconic Art Deco movement, the rectangle-shaped Baume et Mercier Hampton collection is a unisex watch series with retro allure. The original Hampton actually came out during the WWII era and these watches have undeniable vintage appeal but also feel cool and contemporary, especially the Hampton Hommage à Pierre Soulages Limited Edition, a tribute to the artist known as the ‘master of black.’
| Price: | $1,600 – $5,850 |
| First release year: | 2012 |
| Current case size: | 35 x 22 mm, 43 x 27.5 mm, and 48 x 31 mm |
| Movement: | Automatic and quartz |
| Water resistance: | 50 m |
| Crystal: | Sapphire |
Baume & Mercier Classima
With its round case, defined lugs, and dials decorated in traditional decorative techniques, the Baume & Mercier Classima collection is subtly sophisticated and ideal for those seeking a timepiece that will never go out of fashion. From moon phases with diamond indexes and mother-of-pearl dials to open balances, guilloché decor, and alligator straps, the Classima collection offers classic luxury, just as the name suggests.
| Price: | $1,050 – $4,600 |
| First release year: | 2015 |
| Current case size: | 27 mm – 42 mm |
| Movement: | Automatic and quartz |
| Water resistance: | 30 m – 50 m |
| Crystal: | Sapphire |
Baume & Mercier Riviera
The brand’s sportiest offering, the Baume & Mercier Riviera collection combines an athletic aesthetic with luxurious extra touches. Its immediately recognizable dodecagonal (twelve-sided polygon) case along with the integrated bracelet makes this much-coveted timepiece stand out. Variations on the classic include models with rubber straps, pink dials, micro-blasted ADLC-steel cases, and one particular model with a gradient night blue lacquered dial and 96 diamonds.
| Price: | $1,800 – $6,400 |
| First release year: | 1973 |
| Current case size: | 33 mm – 43 mm |
| Movement: | Automatic and quartz |
| Water resistance: | 50 m – 100 m |
| Crystal: | Sapphire |
Where to buy Baume & Mercier watches
You can buy Baume & Mercier watches online from the company’s eCommerce store or in person at one of the brand’s authorized retailers, found here. You can also buy Baume & Mercier watches from a trusted third-party retailer such as Mr Porter or FARFETCH, where the authenticity of the watch can be guaranteed.
For more on buying a luxury watch, check out our watch guide.
Baume & Mercier shipping
Baume & Mercier offers a standard shipping service free of charge. This takes 2-3 business days, and you can track your order on the ‘My Account’ section of the company’s website. Express shipping will incur an additional fee.
Mr Porter offers international shipping for different fees depending on the country.
Baume & Mercier return policy
Baume & Mercier accepts returns for a refund within 30 days of delivery if you are a US customer or within 14 days if you live elsewhere. Any returned watch must be in its original condition and include all the original packaging.
Mr Porter allows returns within 28 days.
Baume & Mercier customer service number
For help with your Baume & Mercier watch order or for assistance with any other queries, contact the Client Relations Centre or ring 0203 364 5538.
Baume & Mercier social media profiles
Frequently asked questions about Baume & Mercier watches
Baume and Mercier watches tend to hold their value thanks to their Swiss heritage and the brand’s famously high-quality craftsmanship and watchmaking expertise. Collectors particularly value their vintage watches dating from the 1920s.
Baume and Mercier ranks among some of the top Swiss watchmakers. While not one of the Big Three (Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin), it is a well-regarded watch manufacturer that’s been around since 1830.
Baume and Mercier watches are made by the company’s expert craftsmen in its factory in Les Brenets, Switzerland. The brand’s headquarters are in Geneva. For more about the brand, including its history and watch models, see our Baume and Mercier retail price guide.
Baume and Mercier use both automatic and quartz movements. The company’s more complex timepieces include chronographs, minute repeaters, and chronometers. For more about the watch brand, including product range and prices, see our Baume & Mercier guide.
