Baume & Mercier.... THEN and NOW

History of Baume & Mercier For over 75 years, Baume & Mercier has been crafting precision timepieces for those Men and Woman with discriminating tastes. Today, a Baume&Mercier Watch is a sign of success and sophistication. But the Baume and Mercier watch-making dynasty actually had its start in 1830, in the heart of the Swiss Jura Mountains. It was here that two brothers, Louis Victor and Pierre Joseph Celestin Baume, first put their renowned watch-making skills and experience to good use, primarily in the design and manufacture of pocket watches. The Baume brothers formed a family business, known as Freres Baume. This collaboration soon made a name for itself. Beyond the borders of Switzerland, the Baum reputation grew. And in 1851, the Baume Brothers corporation was founded in London.

In 1912, William Baume met watchmaker and jeweler, Paul Mercier, resulting in a successful partnership. On November 26th, 1918, an agreement was signed for the establishment of the Baume and Mercier Company in Geneva. The Baume&Mercier Watches espoused the finest in Swiss tradition, elegance and craftsmanship. The very careful and regimented Baume and the free-spirited, passionate Mercier greatly complemented each other, resulting in high levels of mechanical precision. 1920 stands out as the start of the long-standing relationship between womens desires and Baume & Mercier. That year saw the creation of the first Baume and Mercier bracelet watches, a true milestone in jewelry watch-making, as well as the Baume Mercier emphasis on men’s and women’s character and design. In fact, so well-regarded were Baume&Mercier watches that in 1921 the Baume Mercier company was awarded the coveted “Poincon de Geneve,” which symbolized the official recognition of flawless quality products. Baum & Mercier Watches continued to reap acclaim and prestigious awards.

Baume&Mercier achieved three hard-fought victories at the Kew Observatory chronometer competitions -- one of most respected accomplishments for a Baume Watch, or any watchmaker. In 1885, three Baum Mercier Watches were featured within the seven best watches selected. 1887 saw a Baume&Mercier split-second chronograph achieve the highest score -- 85.1 points out of 100. And in 1893, a Baume Watch, a keyless chronometer with a tourbillion movement, was awarded an unprecedented score of 91.9 points! Over the next few decades, the Baum and Mercier Watch became synonymous with quality, and the Baume Mercier name grew in prominence and acclaim the world over. In the years following World War II, Baume and Mercier focused on the design and manufacture of conventional men’s watches, ladies jewelry watches, and sports chronographs. 1965 saw new ownership for Baume&Mercier, as well as the prominence of both quartz and electronic tuning fork movements (the Tronosonic). In 1993, the Cartier group became sole owners of Baume and Mercier. And the Baum Mercier name has never once faltered in its design and performance. Rather, a Baum Watch has meant continued success and eye-catching appeal. The artistic appeal of Baume & Mercier is illustrated by the adoption of the Greek letter PHI as the company emblem. For both Men and womens styles, a Baume & Mercier Watch provides a stylish and sophisticated counterbalance to the trials and tribulations of the day.

In 1973, Baume & Mercier Watches were awarded the female-friendly Baden-Baden Golden Rose for their promotion of feminine appeal. In 1999, when Baume&Mercier was purchased by the Richemont Group, an international conglomerate that represents luxury goods. Today, Baume & Mercier Watches is distributed by 220 exclusive retailers worldwide. And, Baume Mercier Watches have gained prominence in cyberspace.

Indeed, http://www.thewatchery.com/ is a true Internet destination, as it provides a full selection of Baume&Mercier Watches, including men’s, women’s, and a variety of sporty chronographs. Trends and fads may come and go, but Baum&Mercier Watches never sacrifice mechanical dependability and elegance, And The Watchery is here to provide ito you!!

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EBAY BEST SELLER:

Exceptionally feminine, supple and chic, the Catwalk is a scintillating and youthful bracelet watch that became an instant benchmark in jewelry timepieces. With its integrated case, the luminous bracelet flows smoothly and sensually around the wrist. Forever avant-garde, this unconventional beauty is equally stunning in steel or gold, and, thanks to its exceptionally pure styling, gets away with the most astonishing combinations of materials. An enchanting piece of jewelry to reflect all the special moments in your life.

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS LOVE

TOP TEN WOMEN'S BAUME AND MERCIER WATCHES

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The Breitling Emergency

The Breitling Emergency is a really unique watch. Breitling primarily makes watches for aviation professionals, and therefore outfits them with appropriate functionality like chronographs, circular slide rules, multiple time zones, etc. But these are all features designed to keep you in the air, on course, and on time. What about a feature designed to offer pilots and crew members assistance when they encounter the unexpected? That's where the Breitling Emergency comes in.

The most salient feature of the Breitling Emergency is its ability to broadcast an emergency distress signal. Unscrew the protective cap on the right side of the case, fully extend the antenna, and the Breitling Emergency will broadcast on the 121.5 MHz aircraft emergency frequency for a full 48 hours. The range of the transmission is about 100 miles, which seems reasonably impressive for a watch. An interesting technique might be to outfit an entire crew with these watches, then in the event of an emergency, spread out to create a combined coverage area of several hundred miles.

Be careful when showing the Breitling Emergency to your friends, however:) Apparently, the FAA will slap you with a $15,000 fine if you broadcast a false distress call which will probably result in you having to sell your expensive watch

Although we do not have this Breitling emergency watch on our site. We do have many more incredible breitling watches. Check them out at www.TheWatchery.com or give us a call at

1-866-843-9282 for more information.

It's all about Luxury Watches...

J.LO SINGS ABOUT THEM. Charlize Theron peddles them. And every celebrity worthy of appearing in the pages of Us Weekly wears them: Luxury watches.
But luxury watches are not only for the famous. Today, titans of industry and even the soccer Mom crowd won't leave home without a timepiece worth $5,000 or more fastened to their wrist.

And come on, admit it: You want one. Not necessarily one that Diddy would approve of, but one that's classic. One that you can wear forever and maybe pass along to your kid someday. Truth is, once you cut through all the hype currently surrounding high-end watches, what you find is a real work of art: Luxury watches are masterpieces of traditional craftsmanship. A high-end watch can have 800 or more components — many of them handmade — and hand-assembled by trained watchmakers. A standard quartz watch, in comparison, is most likely machine-made and may have only 20 components inside.

How much should you expect to pay? Depends on the watch, of course. The luxury market bottoms out at around $1,000, but many watches easily cost 30 times that, says Andrew Block, senior vice president of marketing for Tourneau, one of the world's largest high-end watch dealers.
As you might imagine, buying a Cartier or a Rolex is somewhat more complicated than picking out a Fossil or Timex at your mall. Here's what to consider:

Maker

Rolex and Cartier are the best known among consumers, followed by Patek Philippe and Piaget, according to the Luxury Institute LLC's latest Luxury Brand Status Report, which measures brand value.

Most luxury watchmakers are Swiss, but there are a handful from other countries, including Bulgari (Italy) and Cartier (France). Considering the brand will give you a sense of history and specialty. Breitling, for example, is favored by pilots for its aeronautic designs.

Movement

In watch lingo, "movement" is the mechanism that keeps the watch going. You won't often find quartz (meaning battery-powered) watches in the luxury realm, says Block. "The artisans don't think of quartz as an example of real watchmaking," he says, as it doesn't require a high level of craftsmanship.
Luxury watches are typically mechanical or self-wound. Mechanical watches must be wound, while automatics are animated by the motion of your wrist. (That's right, you may be paying thousands of dollars, but you'll still have to wind or regularly reset your fancy watch.)

Craftsmanship

The vision of "little old men in Switzerland staying up all night" and working on watches is largely true, says Terry Betteridge, owner of A.E. Betteridge, an estate jeweler in Greenwich, Conn. In fact, craftsmanship on luxury watches is so highly prized that many watches, like Gevril's Soho Deluxe Automatic Calendar ($9,995), have so-called skeleton backs, which allow you to see the components in motion

Complications

High-end watches do more than just show the time. They offer additional features called complications. A split-second chronograph will allow you to time two things at once — say, two people in a race, while a perpetual calendar will give you accurate dates and times through the year 2100. You'll also find complications to monitor multiple time zones or even chime on the hour.
There are eight so-called master complications, which the best watchmakers employ in their various watches. The more complications offered in a watch, the higher the price and the more fragile the watch. For example, Alpina's Startimer Automatic ($1,290) offers one complication, a perpetual calendar. The pricier Startime Automatic GMT Chronograph ($2,590) has three: perpetual calendar, second time zone and chronograph.

Specialization

Luxury watches come with all sorts of bells and whistles geared to appeal to gadget geeks and sporting types. Corum's Admirals' Cup Tide 44 ($26,000) measures the force of the tide and currents, based on the current moon phase. Jaeger's Reverso line (Reverso Classique, $4,500), which allows the watch face to be flipped, was originally engineered for protection during polo matches. Sportsmen may enjoy these added features, says Betteridge, but know they are also hefty — both in terms of price and added bulk to the watch.

Materials

Stainless steel is the primary material used, but many makers also produce luxury watches in 18-karat gold. Unlike less expensive watches, this isn't gold plating, but rather gold that has been alloyed with other metals to make it strong enough to withstand everyday wear. Depending on the maker, other materials may be used. Cartier, for example, offers watches in platinum or titanium, as well as rose, yellow or white gold. Its Tortue watch in yellow gold fetches $13,000, while the same watch in platinum is $20,000.

Details

Luxury watches tend to have little accents that make the watch truly a piece of art, says Block, such as highly-polished finish and curved clasp that make the watch more comfortable against your wrist. Designs may be hand-etched rather than stamped. You'll see dials made of mother-of-pearl, a delicate material that isn't often found in such large, flawless circles. And of course, any diamonds or other precious gems will contribute to the price.

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Corum is the official timekeeper for Victory Challenge at the America’s Cup

Corum recently became the “Official Timekeeper” of the Victory Challenge and have announced that they are producing a special limited edition version of their new Competition 48 that will mark their debut into the arena of the America’s Cup. Flying the new Corum spinnaker and sporting the Corum logo in fine style on the boom Victory Challenge went into battle with one of the lead contenders of the Cup.

Michael Wunderman, the President of the Swiss watchmakers Corum sailed as 18th man aboard Victory Challenge in their battle against BMW Oracle in the 32nd America’s Cup.

Michael Wunderman had this to say when he came off the water … “now I can see why yachtsmen hold this event in such high regard. The energy, commitment and determination of the Victory Challenge Team matches and in many ways exceeds the team spirit that can be found in any other field of endeavor. Watching the smoothly oiled machine in action it is like the crew are one – and with only one purpose “unlocking” the potential of the boat and “conquering” the opposition. This is a perfect alliance for us in that this challenge embodies so much of the Corum values and the courage and strength of the Victory Challenge team give new life to our brand. I have had one of the best days of my life ….”

If you would like to get your own Luxury Corum watch visit us at www.TheWatchery.com

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CORUM Golden Bridge - How the Watch is made!

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Survey Sees Rise in Luxury Watch Demand

PARIS — Consumer demand for luxury watches is likely to accelerate in the next six months, especially for pricy and sporty styles, according to a Goldman Sachs survey, which found a record 89 percent of retailers expect a sustained uptick for the category No better time to buy a Luxury Watch Click Here to buy now!

Design your own watch without leaving home

AMSTERDAM: Looking for the perfect watch? The internet has a wealth of resources to find just the right accessory for your wrist - new, gently used, antique, or custom-made.


With the variety and vintages of watches available and the intense interest shown by watch collectors and enthusiasts, finding an ideal timepiece on the Web has never been easier at well-known sites like Amazon.com or eBay.

But smaller watchmakers are tapping into the Web with a novel proposition for buyers: a custom-designed watch, built-to-order and delivered in 10 days.

Operating without retail outlets in a town on the outskirts of the Swiss watch making city of Geneva, 121TIME has built an online store - www.121time.com - offering customized and personalized certified Swiss watches.

"We are special," said Daniel Morf, one of 121TIME's co-founders. "Technology now enables the consumer to create his or her own watch."

In the Netherlands, although it is not as well known for watches as Switzerland, a watchmaker called Blancier also invites Web users to design their own watches at www.blancier.nl, with a choice of 7 different movements, an equal number of bezels and 9 dials.

Building your own products is not new to the web. Shoe maker Nike Inc. allows buyers to customize and order shoes and apparel through its NIKEiD website nikeid.nike.com.

But in watch making, like with other jewelry, most people want to be able to hold the product in their hands to see how it feels, so Web-based watch design has only recently taken root.

In terms of sales, 121TIME's are minuscule compared to the 13.7 billion Swiss francs ($US11.36 billion) worth of watches exported last year by iconic Swiss watchmakers such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Omega, Vacheron Constantin and Swatch.

Morf and 121TIME co-founder Frederic Polli say they have sold about 10,000 watches since 2001.

With prices in the range of roughly $US300 to $US1,000, it doesn't translate into much, but the two say their Web platform allows them to expand the business and sell to a global market, avoiding distribution deals that inflate watch prices.

EXCLUSIVE TIME

Jean-Claude Roustant, secretary-general of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, a Swiss fine timepiece organization, says that an increasing number of customers are looking for exclusivity in watch design.

"If we speak of fine watch making, that is the case more and more," Roustant said. "More people want to express themselves differently."

Roustant was speaking of the more conventional - and expensive ways of getting that coveted "perfect" watch.

In December, Vacheron Constantin, owned by Richemont, began inviting well-to-do customers to customize their own watches. The price: $US1 million and up.

Another Geneva watchmaker, Romaine Jerome, is using steel and coal salvaged from the Titanic shipwreck to create a limited number of "Titanic-DNA" luxury wristwatches.

Romaine Jerome will make 2,012 watches, priced $US7,800 to $US173,100, to mark the centenary anniversary of the legendary ocean liner's sinking in 2012.

For the truly manic - those who build as well as repair their own watches - parts such as dials, bezels, crowns, cases and straps are available on eBay in addition to used and vintage watches.

"The internet is big competition," said Toesja de Vries, who together with her husband runs a watch shop just around the corner from one of Amsterdam's canals.

De Vries says, however, that people still want to feel the heft of a watch and often come to Amsterdam Watch Company to find a rare vintage model just as exclusive as a brand-new timepiece.

"With vintage watches they want something that no one else has."

Luxury Watch Made from Titanic

A watchmaker in Switzerland has created a new line of very limited, luxurious watches, each made from pieces of the infamous Titanic oceanliner.

The luxury wristwatches were unveiled at the biggest annual watch and jewellery trade show, 'Baselworld', recently. They are being called, 'Titantic DNA', and could definitely be considered one of the most exclusive items displayed at 'Baselworld'.

The watches were made using coal and steal taken from the Titanic, which sank in 1912 killing 1,500 passengers and crew. It was designed to appeal to collectors and the very wealthy who wanted a unique item and story behind the item.

The head of the watch making company that created the Titanic watch said, "It's very luxurious and very inaccessible." "So many rich people buy incredibly complicated watches without understanding how they work, because they want a story to tell."

Titanic cruise ship sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The legendary ship was making its maiden voyage across the Atlantic from Southhampton in England to New York in the US.

In recent years the wreckage of the Titanic has been protected from pilfering. However, a number of years ago, when diving expeditions were beginning to go to the Titanic, many pieces of the ship were retrieved.

One of the creators of 'Titanic DNA', Romain Jerome, said that his company bought a small piece of the Titanic's hull. The piece was taken from the Titanic in 1991 and weighed three pounds. The company that built the Titanic, Harland and Wolff, have confirmed that the piece of hull was from the Titanic.

The Titanic watches were first made available to purchase at the 'Baselworld' trade fair. The cost of getting one of these rare watches is not cheap. The prices range from $7,800 to $173,100 dollars.

The watches also contain platinum and gold along with black dial faces.

The makers of the watch hope that it will not end up standing as a way to reminder the people who died on board the ship and but instead sybolized a sense of renewal. Romain Jerome said, "It is a message of hope, of life stronger than death, of rebirth."

There will be a total 2012 Titanic watches created. This number was decided, as it is the same as "the centenary anniversary of the Titanic's sinking in 2012."

The watch making company are no setting their sights on next year's 'Baselworld' where they will showcase another watch themed around another legend. However, the company was staying tight-lipped and offered no clues as to what legend this is.