Baume & Mercier Creates Automatic Baumatic

This story originally appeared in the September/October 2018 issue of Elite Traveler.

Developing an in-house movement is a prestigious milestone for any watch brand. Throughout the years as it considered creating one, Baume & Mercier decided that if it were to make the investment, it wouldn’t be simply for the sake of having one; it would need to address some of timekeeping’s shortcomings and advance the horological industry. With parent company Richemont’s research teams—meaning we should see some of this technology in its other brands in the future—the company developed its first in-house movement, Baumatic BM12-1975A, and it certainly delivers. It’s able to withstand a magnetic field 25 times higher than the current standard; maintains its accuracy to +4/-6 seconds per day, even as the power reserve dwindles; and its liberal use of silicon components and development of new lubricants can reduce regular maintenance and service to just once every 10 years, instead of the usually recommended three to five years.