Probably the most notable new Baume & Mercier watch release for 2024 was the ocean tide-tracking Baume & Mercier 10761 Riviera Tideograph. The limited edition of 500 timepieces takes the revived, sporty Riviera case and includes a version of the in-house Baumatic movement that sports a tide-tracking complication. It does so handsomely, offering some variety (and beauty) to the relatively sparse assortment of mechanical watches with tide-tracking features. Baume & Mercier, of course, isn’t the first brand to release a tide watch: just this year, TAG Heuer released a modern take on the vintage Seafarer, and a few years ago IWC released the Portugieser Yacht Club.
The base Baume & Mercier Riviera collection watch is in steel and 43mm wide with a not-too-thick case (12.3mm) and 100 meters of water resistance with a screw-down crown. There is an additional case pusher that allows you to adjust the tideograph complication, something that will be necessary to do per each geographical region. The reason software-based tide charts are more popular is that tides change – especially depending on where you are. Thus, the process to set the complication correctly first requires looking up data on the progression of the tides where you are going to be, and then manually adjusting the watch. It is a bit of a hassle, and frankly, I wonder how often these tide charts are going to be accurately adjusted. Most people who are diving, surfing, fishing, or boating that need to be aware of tides tend to have a lot of other things on their minds and probably will not get around to properly adjusting their watches unless they wear their Riviera Tideograph often and remain in the same geographic area all the time. Just saying, this is a niche luxury sports watch if there ever was one.
Boasting impressive features, the Baumatic movement family is a desirable mechanical system that sports features like a long power reserve and high magnetic resistance. The Baume & Mercier Baumatic automatic caliber BM14-1975AC3 operates at 4Hz with a long five days of power reserve. You can also view the movement through the sapphire crystal caseback window. To keep things simple, the movement in this orientation has just the time and the tideograph feature. Adding in something like the date would have probably made the dial too cluttered. While I am not a tide chart fanatic, I really like the design of the Riviera Tideograph and find it to be among the more handsome mechanical watches with this complication. That might not make understanding the tide function very intuitive, but at least it looks pretty.
The Baume & Mercier Riviera case is nicely finished and comfortable on the wrist. In this form, the steel case is matched to an attractive blue rubber strap that has a textile insert on the top of it. Note that Baume & Mercier developed a quick-release system for the strap on the case. Metal bracelets are also available for the 43mm wide Baume & Mercier Riviera, which I think would be a handsome complement to this case. In any event, even though the quick-release system is elegant, it does require proprietary straps from Baume & Mercier, which limits an owner’s ability to change straps and bracelets at their whim.
With a great movement and a handsome style, I think the Baume & Mercier Riviera collection is currently under-appreciated for what you get. The problem is that the price point doesn’t necessarily measure up to the current demand for Baume & Mercier products. The Richemont-owned brand has been among the most silent and timid of those in the Group. I’ve always seen Baume & Mercier as a natural competitor to brands like Longines or Raymond Weil, but that requires brand-building and marketing, which Baume & Mercier has not done in quite some time. With some uplifted branding and small refinements, I think that Baume & Mercier could do quite well with its current generation Riviera products. The Baume & Mercier Riviera Tideograph Reference 10761 is priced at $5,350 USD and is limited to 500 pieces. For more information, please visit the Baume & Mercier website.
