In conversation with David Chaumet, CEO Baume & Mercier

Some time ago, we sat down with David Chaumet, CEO of Baume & Mercier and asked him some questions regarding the present and future of the brand. The current strategy has the Riviera as its centrepiece, but all the collections will be granted the headline news, along with sustainability and upcycle.

Q: Dear Mr Chaumet, here is my first question. Let’s start with the Riviera. First, which is the collection’s target customer? And, the second question, are there any people coming from the competitors and joining Baume & Mercier thanks to the new Riviera?

A: Thank you for asking this question. First of all, I’d like to point out that Riviera has been, over the last year, the brand’s image’s game-changer towards a more contemporary design while adding content, like Baumatic; expect additional releases in the second half of the year. The audience much appreciated the Riviera when it was introduced in 1973.

Today, people who didn’t know anything about the collection were attracted and made this fifth edition theirs, primarily when powered by Baumatic; it is our signature movement and keeps highlighting our most extraordinary expertise, which pairs bold design, passion for details and top-notch quality, along with solid watchmaking content.

Did we catch any clients from other Maisons? I hope so, but you know, you don’t own your clients; they own you. No doubt, we added new clients with Riviera, and I think we will extend our customer base this year, especially with the new 33 mils that might fit even better for ladies and 36 mm models, too, since it might equally attract him and her.

We have also increased our manufacturing capability to meet Riviera‘s demand and be more present in key markets, with the Riviera Baumatic blue raising a considerable success.

Q: The new steel titanium, the golden titanium version, is a winner. It reminds me of the late eighties and lovely timepieces like some Omega with integrated bracelets and gold tones. There were many two-tone titanium watches back then, and titanium became a trend.

A: Yes, they were, and they were terrific, too. We started to launch Riviera with a few product references, and raised much success, thus extending the offering with new models. And, as you just said, we were asked for a two-tone timepiece, which makes sense but has to be a modern re-interpretation.

I wanted to have something stylish in terms of design, playing on the light variation on the case to ensure a shining matte effect. I was looking for a lighter piece with a slightly darker bezel; hence titanium and gold came as a natural combination. And the Riviera is a perfect fit, too; it does help us play with tones, while the gold combo paired with our signature dial’s pattern is impressive.

Q: From what I understood, the Baumatic is the favourite choice, isn’t it?

A: Yes, it is. We have an audience seeking the very best; if you want a well-done timepiece with solid watchmaking content, Baumatic is your choice, but we understand that some customers just ask for a robust design at a more affordable price.

Q: Are you planning to turn Riviera into a diving watch? It has such a strong Sports pedigree.

A: You know, Riviera is turning 49 this year; it means 50 next year. There’s a lot to come next year. To answer your question, the sea universe is well connected to Riviera. We’ll see what the future holds (he smiles).

Q: Great to hear; can we tease the audience with some newcomers?

A: Riviera will be, again, the focus for the current year. And, as said, next year too. Then, new Classima and Clifton models will enrich our portfolio. We’ll stick to four pillars together with Baume and keep moving to ensure enhanced design, modernity, and performance.

In our playground, we offer round watches with Classima and Clifton, which are geared towards a younger audience and represent a “celebration” piece, the former, whereas the latter aims at a more passionate audience.

Then we have the Hampton with an easily recognizable rectangular case strongly supported by the “Hommage à Pierre Soulages” edition, a staggering success. In brief, I believe that round, rectangular and dodecagonal cases provide a consistent offering moving forward.

Q: When it comes to Baumatic, it was a breakthrough within the group: performance, precision, and efficiency. When I look at other brands of Richemont, I can also see sustainability and upcycle trending topics. I might name Panerai, for instance; do you see Baume & Mercier joining the green trend as well?

A: During the early days of green-manufactured watches, Baume Watches were pioneers. We are developing a project around this and still supporting sustainability. With each sale, we support multiple organizations, especially those preserving the oceans. We give a percentage of each sale every time we sell a watch to support them. Where are we today? We have a collaboration that we’ll soon reveal regarding this topic. We think it’s important but cannot be solely about sustainability; you need to add an attractive design and watchmaking content to the recipe to make it work.

Q: Thank you so much; it’s always a great pleasure to talk about the brand; I like such an open approach.

(Photo credit: Baume & Mercier, Horbiter®)

Giovanni Di Biase @Horbiter®