Baume & Mercier Clifton Perpetual Calendar: eternally classy

Over the last few years, other than classic references, the brand has revealed original pieces or complicated watches in the Clifton collection. While some of their movements had some rare features, others housed complications such as flying tourbillons or 5-minute repeaters.

Searching for balance in everything

With the upcoming end-of-year festivities, it was only natural Baume & Mercier’s design studio to come up with another detailed mechanism that would, this time around, enable the display of perpetual calendar information. Designed and developed almost 200 years ago, this complication able to memorize the hazards of the Gregorian calendar established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, was named the Perpetual Calendar.

The complication is much loved by seasoned enthusiasts and company directors who see in it a symbol of assertion of identity. In this piece, it was further combined with a moon phase display, graced with a delicacy that enhances and gives balance to the dial.

Refined work by choice

To undertake this laborious task that required expert skills, Baume & Mercier chose to use “établissage” – a system it has adopted before in its  history, with a wealth of creations. It is a traditional method in which the watch's components are produced by different specialized subcontractors while their assembly is done in-house by the brand's watchmakers.

And so, to develop this piece equipped with a 43-mm 18K red gold case, the brand turned to Vaucher ‘s manufacture. The latter supplied the popular self-winding mechanical micro-rotor caliber – also known as reference 5401 –combined with the Dubois-Dépraz module (ref. 5100), which features a Perpetual Calendar.

The result is a coherent piece that only allows the movement to appear through the sapphire glass. It should be added that he movement features excellent finishes and oscillates at 21,600 vibrations per hour. Said finishes are the result of an innovative treatment of concentric decor from the balance's axis and classic golden text indicating a 5-position fit, which guarantees enhanced accuracy.

The opaline silver dial features a refined minute-circle, applique indexes and numerals as well as a moon phase indicator at 6 o'clock and four counters recessed in the material. Placed at 12 o'clock, the first counter displays months and the current year. Among the four numerals on the dial, the red one refers to leap years in which February has 29 rather than 28 days. The counter at 3 o'clock indicates the date with the tip of its blued hand whereas the hand ticking in the counter at 9 o'clock shows the days of the week. And of course, the last counter – which is a tad larger than the others to enhance the representation of our satellite the Moon – also displays permanent seconds, an information which always comes in handy.

Sporting an amazing balance, the 11.2-mm thick watch with a timeless design and visual strength acclaimed by professionals, comes with a sober alligator strap and a classic and refined pin buckle.