BAUME & MERCIER CLIFTON CHRONOGRAPH

The history of this Baume & Mercier Clifton Chronograph

Founded in 1830 by the Baume brothers in the Jura village of Les Bois, the company moved to Geneva in 1918, forming a partnership with Paul Mercier. In 2013, Baume & Mercier launched the Clifton collection, drawing inspiration from a 1950s model housed in its museum. Its name comes from Clifton, a seaside district of Cape Town in South Africa, echoing the coastal, summery atmosphere that the brand now associates with its image. The chronograph joined the range at the SIHH 2014 in three versions, including the M0A10130, the only model in the series available on a steel bracelet. It retains the design cues of the archive model, with its applied Arabic numerals, well-spaced sub-dials and round case with curved lugs.

Case, movement and bracelet of this Clifton Chronograph

The 43 mm steel case combines polished sides with a satin-finished bezel, a finish also featured on the tops of the lugs. Its thickness of approximately 15 mm gives it a striking presence on the wrist. The fluted crown, engraved with the brand’s ‘F’ logo, is flanked by two polished cylindrical pushers. The sapphire crystal protects a silver sunburst dial, punctuated by Arabic numerals at 2, 4, 8 and 10 o’clock and rose gold-toned applied teardrop hour markers. The railway-track flange and the sub-dials feature blue markings that make the chronograph easy to read. The 30-minute counter is positioned at 12 o’clock, the small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock and the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, whilst a dual day and date window occupies the 3 o’clock position. The facetted Dauphine hands and the central chronograph hand are finished in the same rose gold tone. On the back, a screw-fixed sapphire crystal case back reveals the BM13-7750 calibre, an automatic movement based on the ETA Valjoux 7750 and fitted with 25 jewels. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. It is water-resistant to 50 metres. The fine-link steel bracelet alternates between polished and satin-finished surfaces, with screw-fixed links and a signed butterfly folding clasp with a double push-button mechanism.

Why this Baume & Mercier watch

This chronograph combines a tried-and-tested movement, renowned for its robustness and ease of maintenance, with a classic design inherited from the 1950s. The steel bracelet makes it a versatile watch, equally at home in the office or at the weekend. The day and date display adds practicality to the chronograph function for everyday use. On the second-hand market, the Clifton Chronograph offers a Swiss automatic chronograph with a sapphire crystal caseback, supplied with a full set of accessories and documented provenance via an invoice from a Swiss retailer.

Contents and condition

The watch is supplied in its Baume & Mercier presentation box, with its international warranty card and the purchase invoice from a Geneva retailer dated July 2020. The box shows signs of age, with a slightly stained interior and scuffed corners. The watch itself is in very good condition. Having been worn with care, it shows only slight signs of wear, with no knocks or noticeable scratches on the case, bezel or crystal. For the buyer, this is a watch ready to wear, which looks much like a recent model.

Warranty and delivery

The Swiss Collector guarantees the authenticity of this watch, which is covered by a 24-month warranty. We accept returns within 10 days in accordance with our terms and conditions. As Switzerland’s leading second-hand retailer, backed by the largest network of shops, we offer online booking for a fitting and collection in-store, or fully secure international delivery.