At the dawn of the 1920s, William Baume joined forces with Paul Mercier. They founded a house together Boom 1918 in Geneva. The company stands out for its wristwatches, offering models with outstanding balanced shapes such as the Hampton, a collection launched in 1994 with curves inspired by references from the 1940s and Art Deco.
This line has a rectangular dial and case that resemble the proportions of a painter’s canvas. Recently, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Soulages museum, the manufactory also presented a new Hampton watch inspired by the Outrenoir work of Pierre Soulages from 1986.
The 48.11 x 31 mm case is made from a block of micro-sandblasted stainless steel and treated with a black DLC coating like a bracelet. For a deep matte effect of alternating light and shadow, the dial is decorated with brass and Levantine stones.
On the latter, we find the painter’s miniaturized image with intertwined vertical and oblique passages and golden hands with rose gold hemispheres, as desired by the artist. The watch is powered by an automatic mechanical caliber equipped with a black oscillating weight decorated with Côtes de Genève.
© Baume & Mercier
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph
Brand: Jaeger-LeCoultre
Country of origin: Switzerland
Price: 27,000 euros
Another icon of the family of rectangular watches: the Reverso. A name that refers to the main feature of the model: its ability to slide in its mount to turn around. In 1931, this Art Deco rectangular watch with a reversible case was introduced to protect the dial from knocks during polo games for British Army officers sent to India.
Last year, Jaeger Lecoultre has given its watch a sporty look with a steel chronograph version. On the front we find a sunny blue gray dial. On the back, the chronograph movement is revealed through an open dial, enhanced by bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève.
Shown here in the center are the chronograph seconds and the retrograde minute counter, arranged on the arc of the circle placed at 6 o’clock. This superb movement is powered by a new hand-wound chronograph caliber.