Introducing The Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar

Building on the success of last year's Baumatic watches, which introduced a brand new caliber with a silicon hairspring, high-performance escapement, and five-day power reserve to Baume & Mercier's collection, the brand is now releasing a souped-up version of the Baumatic with a perpetual calendar and a solid gold case. The base movement is the same caliber BM13-1975AC-1, but a module has been added and the whole thing is fitted in a 42mm case made of 18k red gold. With a "warm white" dial with blue accents and a moonphase at six o'clock, the whole thing is a rather handsome take on a very traditional timepiece, though with modern technology under the hood.

Some people get uppity when they see a brand like Baume & Mercier creating complicated watches at higher price points. "Stick to what you're good at" and "why would I spend such-and-such amount of money on a watch from this brand" are the types of things I'll often spot down in the comments. I understand the knee-jerk reactions, but once you think about it for even a minute it's something that watch lovers should embrace rather than attack. You're not going to find a solid gold QP from the usual suspects for anywhere near this price, and while it's by no means an inexpensive watch, the Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar could still open up complicated watchmaking to a new audience. Personally, I find that hard to argue with. Now, do I wish this watch was 40mm or smaller? Of course. But not every watch can be perfect, right?

Brand: Baume & Mercier
Model: Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar
Reference: M0A10470 

Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 12.1mm
Case Material: Red gold
Dial Color: Warm white
Indexes: Applied batons and printed Arabic numerals
Lume: None
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Black alligator strap with quick-change springbars and red gold buckle

Caliber: Baume & Mercier Caliber BM12-1975AC-1 with Dubois-Dépraz 55102 perpetual calendar module
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and perpetual calendar with month, date, day of the week, leap year indicator, and moonphase display
Thickness: 5.85mm
Power Reserve: Five days (120 hours)
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)
Jewels: 21
Additional Details: Regulated to -5/+10 seconds per days

Price: $24,500
Availability: September 2019

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