Homage to history

Baume & Mercier only came to prominence in 1988 when it became part of the Richemont Group, but it has long been a favourite with connoisseurs, and its roots run deep.

Baume & Mercier's history dates back to 1830, when brothers Louis-Victor and Joseph-Célestin Baume opened their watchmaking business in the Jura region of Switzerland, where its reputation soon grew for creating timepieces with state-of-the art innovations. This eventually led company director William Baume to a fellow visionary, Paul Mercier.

Together they founded Baume & Mercier in 1918, with Baume handling the technical aspects and Mercier taking charge of design and the commercial side of the business. They established a fully-fledged manufacture in Geneva, making top-quality watches and movements that were exported to the United States.

Today, it is a luxury brand known for its refined complications, the use of precious materials and superlative technical achievements. CEO Alain Zimmermann is eager to take advantage of Watches&Wonders to showcase the brand's watchmaking skills in Asia.

"Asia is definitely a sophisticated and well-developed market for luxury watches," he says. "There are many connoisseurs and collectors who truly appreciate and look forward to having a world-class luxury watch exhibition in the region. The high watchmaking industry, all over the world, has seen important developments in recent years. Not only is there an increasing number of collectors, but also greater visibility of this luxury segment in the media."

Baume & Mercier will unveil an entirely new tourbillon from its famous Clifton collection in Hong Kong - the Clifton 1892 Flying Tourbillon.