Baume & Mercier, Watches

Baume & Mercier’s story begins in 1830. Brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume opened a comptoir horloger (watch dealership) in Les Bois, a village in the Swiss Jura.

The Baume brothers’ business grew rapidly, and true to their motto, “accept only perfection, only manufacture watches of the highest quality”, they forged a fine reputation through the creation of exceptional timepieces featuring the latest innovations.

Constantly demonstrating its creativity, Baume & Mercier unveiled innovatively shaped timepieces during the 1970s, such as the Galaxie and the Stardust, which won prestigious international awards including the Golden Rose of Baden-Baden. In 1973, Baume & Mercier brought out the Riviera, one of the world's first steel sports watches. In 1988, the firm joined the Vendôme group, now Richemont, and enriched its collection with a number of successful models which immediately established themselves as the brand’s flagship lines.

Baume & Mercier has been developing its expertise for 190 years. This expertise is based on the principle of “établissage”, meaning every stage in the creation of a timepiece is controlled in-house, as is the assembly of its various components. This choice reflects the Maison’s strong principles and is a guarentee of the highest quality. 

This tradition of excellence at Baume & Mercier is based on the design and development of its products at the Maison's headquarters in Geneva, and on the "établissage" process carried out at its workshops in the Swiss Jura, in Les Brenets. This means that watch production is centralized in Switzerland. Baume & Mercier attracts the best talents to ensure it achieves the ultimate quality and respect for tradition; this has been the Maison’s strength since it was founded.