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Baume mercier rivieras 4

Baume & Mercier Unveils Two Stunning New Additions To The Riviera Family


This year’s Watches and Wonders event was a bit special for the Geneva-based firm Baume & Mercier. Not only was it showcasing new releases in its home town, but 2023 also marks 50 years since the launch of its most popular model, the Riviera. When first debuted in 1973, the Riviera was a pioneering steel sports watch that offered similar styling to Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak. Now in its fifth generation, the Riviera continues that legacy and features Baume & Mercier’s famed Baumatic movement. Watch fans were eager to see the brand’s latest interpretations of the Riviera and were presented with a stable of new models. Two men’s watches grabbed our attention, the Riviera Azur 300 and a new trimmed-down 39mm iteration.

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Riviera 10715| Image: Baume & Mercier

Smaller watches are in. We recently sang the praises of these more comfortable models and highlighted smaller watches from some of watchmaking’s biggest names. So it was unsurprising to see Baume & Mercier jump on the small watch bandwagon, particularly when the brand has a reputation for creating watches for both genders.

The latest Riviera retains the core elements of the watch that has proved so successful with watch fans. The distinctive angular case remains, but with a drop in size from 42 to 39mm. As ever, the case boasts clean lines and a dodecagonal shape with twelve sides and four screws. There are two new stainless steel models and a third forged from titanium, a metal both stronger and lighter than steel. All three feature integrated straps.

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Riviera Azur 300 10717| Image: Baume & Mercier

Riviera dials always cause a stir and feature an unusual semi-skeletonised construction. Marketed by the brand as “transparent wave transfer decoration“, these opaque dials display the top on the movement and the date wheel. It’s a distinguishing feature that sets the Riviera apart from similar watches and reinforces the original models’ Mediterranean inspiration. The new 39mm watch also features 100M of water resistance.

The second watch from Baume & Mercier that caught our eye was the Riviera Azur 300, a watch that ups the ante with 300M of water resistance. Built for watersports and with a diver’s uni-directional bezel, the Azur 300 is a legitimate diver’s watch. It sticks with the larger 42mm case and takes more inspiration from 1981’s debut model than from current watch trends.

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Riviera Azur 300 10716| Image: Baume & Mercier

Although it also features the signature 12-sided bezel, there are additional features that make it a very practical piece. The bezel has a blue or black anodised aluminium ring that helps make turning it a breeze. Paired with a coloured section for the first 15 minutes, it makes for an attractive design. Compared to the 39mm model, the Azur 300 also includes a beefed-up crown and chunky hands with beige or grey SuperLuminova.

Both models are powered by Baume & Mercier’s in-house Baumatic calibre, an automatic movement that boasts an incredible 120-hour power reserve. You can leave these watches on your bedside table for five days and they’ll still be ticking when you put them back on.

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Baumatic Movement| Image: Baume & Mercier

The 39mm stainless steel Rivieras are available with either a smoked blue or grey sapphire dial, while the titanium case comes with a grey dial. The stainless steel Azur 300 is also available in blue or grey and all watches feature Baume & Mercier’s “Fast Strap” system to quickly swap out the straps.

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Baume & Mercier Riviera 10714 10715 and 10720

Diameter: 39mm
Height: 10.3mm
Case: Stainless Steel or Titanium
Movement: Baumatic with 120 Power Reserve
Strap: Stainless Steel Bracelet or Rubber Strap
Crystal: Sapphire
Water Resistance: 100M

Baume & Mercier Riviera Azur 300 10717 and 10716

Diameter: 42mm
Case: Stainless Steel
Movement: Baumatic with 120 Power Reserve
Strap: Stainless Steel Bracelet or Rubber Strap
Crystal: Sapphire
Water Resistance: 300M