Baume & Mercier Classima 43 mm Silvered 18k

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions

43 mm

Case thickness

14.1 mm

Case material

18k yellow gold

Bezel

Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom

Crystal

Sapphire with internal AR treatment

Dial

Silvered opaline

Hands

Blued steel Breguet-style hands

Indexes

Diamond-set hour markers

Bracelet / strap

Alligator leather with folding clasp

Clasp / buckle

Triple-folding clasp with safety catch

Water resistance

30 m

Movement

Movement / calibre

Calibre 53A — Automatic, Swiss lever escapement

Movement type

Manual-winding

Frequency

36,000 vph (5 Hz)

Power reserve

55 hours

Number of jewels

45 jewels

Complications

Chronograph

Functions

Flying tourbillon, power reserve

Watchmaker

Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.

Production & market

Production period

1970 – 1985

Limited-edition quantity

Not applicable

Current market information

Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.

Designer

Jörg Hysek

Jörg Hysek left Rolex and Seiko's European studios to build a design practice in Geneva, giving houses such as Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Seiko and TAG Heuer their sculptural, architecture-led cases before founding his own brand, HD3.

Historical significance

Baume & Mercier Classima 43 mm Silvered 18k sits within Baume & Mercier's Classima line, introduced in 1970. It carries the house codes established since 1830 — 18k yellow gold case, silvered opaline dial and automatic, swiss lever escapement — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

• The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
• The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.