Baume & Mercier’s latest Hampton collection reveals new silhouettes that pay tribute to the world-renowned architectural movement of the 1920s
Baume & Mercier unveiled its new contemporary Hampton collection, one of its most iconic lineups, at this year’s digital Watches and Wonders Geneva. For 2020, the Hampton collection reveals new silhouettes and offers new shapes—for both men and women—that pay tribute to Art Deco.
“We are thrilled to introduce a new vision for our Hampton collection. Creativity and Art Deco remain the pillars of this true icon of the Maison and are infused in the new range that we are unveiling at Watches & Wonders 2020,” explained Baume & Mercier’s CEO, David Chaumet. “Fully dedicated to the rebirth of this collection, we have simplified the design to remain as close as possible to its origin and its essence, while reworking all of the details with a focus on each element—notably on the timepiece’s face and case.”
Up front, the dials are adorned with contemporary Arabic numerals, which are emphasized by riveted indexes and accentuated by sword-shaped hands. Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, the perfectly balanced proportions of the watch creates a subtle fluidity and softness and offers clear visibility of the time.
The passing of time appears on silver-toned and grained dials with various opaline textures, while the contemporary sword-shaped black ruthenium hands add character and contrasts nicely against the dial. Completed with bi-color black and gray minute track structures, this creative approach is pretty much similar to that of the famous architectural movement, combining functionality with luxury.
Moving inside, the watches are powered with three-hand self-winding movements. On these, the oscillating mass of the hour, minute and small seconds hands are decorated with the Côtes de Genève design. Depending on the model, the watches feature a power reserve between 38 to 42 hours. Some models, meanwhile, feature a new generation quartz movement with an optimized 7-year reliability. The self-winding pieces have a sapphire back with four screws, while the quartz versions have a closed back.
Finally, the Hampton collection also includes a variant featuring a large date with dual time zone and also a day/night indicator. All in all, as the relief, hues, shapes and materials all point to the Art Deco aesthetic, Baume & Mercier successfully showcases the spirit of this artistic movement—on both the ladies’ and men’s pieces—in every accent of the new collection.
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