Baume & Mercier Classima 42 mm Salmon 18k

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions

42 mm

Case thickness

12.6 mm

Case material

18k yellow gold

Bezel

Fixed brushed titanium

Crystal

Box sapphire with AR coating

Dial

Salmon

Hands

Faceted dauphine hands, polished by hand

Indexes

Printed minute track with applied batons

Bracelet / strap

Jubilee bracelet

Clasp / buckle

Triple-folding clasp with safety catch

Water resistance

150 m

Movement

Movement / calibre

Calibre 4D — High-beat automatic

Movement type

Manual-winding

Frequency

21,600 vph (3 Hz)

Power reserve

38 hours

Number of jewels

27 jewels

Complications

Flyback chronograph

Functions

GMT second time zone, date

Watchmaker

The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.

Production & market

Production period

1974 – 1982

Limited-edition quantity

Not applicable

Current market information

Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.

Designer

Emmanuel Gueit

Emmanuel Gueit came from a family of Geneva jewellers and was barely into his twenties when he drew the oversized Royal Oak Offshore in 1993 — a watch the house's traditionalists resisted and collectors turned into an icon.

Historical significance

Baume & Mercier Classima 42 mm Salmon 18k sits within Baume & Mercier's Classima line, introduced in 1974. It carries the house codes established since 1830 — 18k yellow gold case, salmon dial and high-beat automatic — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

• The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
• The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.