Took delivery of this today and I’m blown away by the quality for the money. Baume isn’t a maker I’ve owned before but I have been tempted by one of their old Worldtimer models. I’ve probably been guilty of looking at where Richemont place the brand rather than the quality of the watches themselves.
This is another entry into the integrated bracelet sports watch market but not one without pedigree, the original Riviera debuted in the seventies, just after the Royal Oak and well before the Nautilus. This one measures 42mm across the twelve sided bezel and just 10.6mm thick. The case and bracelet are mainly satin finished with some polished chamfers, and it’s finished well in excess of a normal watch at this price point. The bracelet has a great quick release system and includes half links for a decent level of adjustment to find the perfect fit. This model features a blue sapphire dial which seems to be quite popular at the moment. Depending on the light it either looks solid, smokey or shows a wave pattern, it really is something else. Beating away behind the dial is the in-house Baumatic 5 day automatic movement. It’s well finished, features a silicon balance spring and operates within chronometer specs. It also offers 100m WR, although no screw down crown.
This is an increasingly saturated segment of the market but this watch really does compete. I’m lucky enough to have owned or handled many of the popular models and this one really shouldn’t be discounted. It’s no Nautilus or Royal Oak but it’s well on par with watches like the Laureato and Alpine Eagle. And all for a retail price of £3,200. When you factor in the discounts available, this one came new from an AD for £1,900, it’s a real no brainer!
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Last edited by Danstone; 16th June 2022 at 11:38.
Lovely watch and at the discounted price you paid, as you said, a no brainer!
Whilst I have never seen one in person, the full RRP seems very competitive given all the elements of this watch, IMHO.
I especially like the semi see through nature of the dial on these.
Always nice to see something different on the forum, enjoy it!
Loved these when they relaunched the name a year or so back, and it's great to see this model in actual owner-photographs, as you get a much better impression than you do with the accursed renders most watch manufacturers burden their websites with! Looks even better IRL.
At the asking it seemed fair value for something distinctive, different and sporting a manufacture movement (Richemont presumably) for added credibility. At two-thirds RRP it's a bit of a bargain provided you're not a branding-snob or only able to think of watches as investments... I suppose the one thing I'd be wary of would be servicing costs knowing Richemont's rep.
Enjoy!
I've got one of the original Riviera Chrono XLs like this one (seller no connection to me) https://www.chrono24.co.uk/baumemerc...80521.htm#gref
It's been a pleasure to own, well balanced, good time keeping and not seen anyone else with one. Enjoy your purchase
Absolutely lovely. This is a watch I'd like to buy.
I think that the Baumatic movement is the one to go for, especially at this price. The non-in house movement versions are theoretically cheaper but overall I feel are less interesting.Originally Posted by Danstone
Good grief, I'd never have expected such a massive discount to be available from an AD. That's a 40% discount! I was planning to go to Montredo but even there it would still come in at £2400 including the VAT.
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