Baume & Mercier Classima Executives XL Chronograph Calendar Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed)
Dec 23rd 2009 at 12:03PM

Baume & Mercier offers up a Valjoux 7751 movement based watch so similar in theme to a similar offering by Longines, that the brand can never deny who its intended competitor is. By all accounts the new Baume & Mercier Classima Executives XL Chronograph Calendar watch is a nice looking watch, but it does not feel particularly special. Actually that sounds like most of the recent Baume & Mercier watches. I think they are too afraid to infringe upon their higher end relatives in the Richemont Group. A few years ago we saw a host of exciting looking Capeland, Riviera, and Hampton models coming out. Did that stream dry up?

In a 42mm steel case the watch style is classic with just a hint of personality. Baume & Mercier supplies the watch with a relatively attractive guilloche engraved finished dial. It feels like it is missing Roman numerals, but that would have made the dial too busy. Dark gray hands instead of the expected blued steel hands give the watch a Tuxedo look - while the red gold date hand and gold toned moon on the moon phase indicator add a suggestion of luxury. Sapphire crystal on the front and rear of the watch allow clear views, with a Baume & Mercier signed automatic rotor see in the back. The Valjoux 7751 automatic movement is related to the Valjoux 7750, but adds a host of features including an annual calendar, synchronized 24 hour hand, and moonphase indicator in addition to the time and 12 hour chronograph. While there is nothing wrong with the attractive watch, give the competition, anything above $3,000 would be too much to pay for a watch like this. Though I don't know the price of the watch yet.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 7751, Baume Mercier, BaumeMercier, calendar, chronograph, classima, executives, watch, xl