At the start of the year Baume & Mercier decided to take a fresh approach to its watches in order to improve their performance and ultimately set the brand free on a level playing field with its high-end competitors.
And after some soul searching, and intensive research and development, the watchmaker produced its first in-house mechanical, self-winding movement. Which in itself will score a lot of points with horology buffs and collectors.
With the new movement, B&M have come up with one of the most technically advanced watches in the Richemont Group’s roster. The self-winding movement with a five day power reserve has a Twinspir balance spring and a silicon escape wheel and lever, which allows for optimised energy transfer (trademarked as the Powerscape by B&M).
The five new Clifton Baumatics, with their porcelain-like finish, seek to fortify the brand’s masculine identity. But they also speak to the brand’s penchant for precision: the gorgeously pointed lancet hands, minute markers and dileneated Arabic numerals.
It comes in a white or black dial. And the understated display features slender riveted hour-markers, slim lancet hands and an oversized date aperture at 3 o’clock.
Topped with a domed sapphire crystal, the minute track — in anthracite gray or white — follows the perfectly proportioned curves of the 40 mm polished/satin-finished steel case.
Water-resistant to 50 meters, the transparent case back reveals the new Baumatic BM12-1975A caliber, the first mechanical self-winding movement developed in-house, in collaboration with the Richemont group. The timepiece attaches to the wrist with an alligator leather strap that fastens with a pin buckle.
Unveiled at SIHH at the start of the year, the Clifton Baumatic features an array of characteristics that seek to raise B&M’s watchmaking bar. Here’s a closer look at the details that comprise B&M’s first mechanical movement:
Power reserve:
The power reserve of a standard watch movement ranges from 40 to 70 hours when it is fully wound. All Baume & Mercier watches equipped with the Baumatic movement have a high-performance 120-hour power reserve.
Chronometric accuracy
A standard watch requires regular time-setting, from the instant its daily variation in precision is around 20 to 30 seconds per day. All of the Baume & Mercier watches equipped with the Baumatic movement are adjusted to a precision rate of -4/+6 seconds per day and offer a stable level of precision throughout the whole of the power reserve.
Magnetic fields
There are many effects that may be caused by magnetic fields: the most common being the movement suddenly stopping or a loss of precision. The Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic™ watch is resistant to at least 1,500 Gauss, a resistance 25x higher than the current ISO norm.
Durability
A watch movement is a complex mechanism comprising numerous mobile miniature components. Their perpetual interaction results in friction and wear, which can be minimized by lubrication, a delicate issue in any watch movement.
The quality of the various lubricants for the Baumatic movement make it possible to prolong the maintenance service intervals beyond the generally recommended five years.
Don’t wait a minute longer to discover the four incredible performances offered by the Baumatic movement and to view our four videos, which illustrate each of these innovations.
The watch is Baume & Mercier’s first in-house automatic movement in its 187-year history
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