Baume & Mercier Clifton 40 mm Black 18k

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions

40 mm

Case thickness

10.2 mm

Case material

18k yellow gold

Bezel

Unidirectional ceramic 60-minute

Crystal

Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed

Dial

Black lacquer

Hands

Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill

Indexes

Applied Roman numerals

Bracelet / strap

Jubilee bracelet

Clasp / buckle

Titanium deployant clasp

Water resistance

100 m

Movement

Movement / calibre

Calibre 21C — High-beat automatic

Movement type

Manual-winding

Frequency

21,600 vph (3 Hz)

Power reserve

38 hours

Number of jewels

40 jewels

Complications

Chronograph

Functions

Chronograph, tachymeter, date

Watchmaker

Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.

Production & market

Production period

2010 – 2017

Limited-edition quantity

500 pieces

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 Clifton 40 mm Black 18k sits within Baume & Mercier's Clifton line, introduced in 2010. It carries the house codes established since 1830 — 18k yellow gold case, black lacquer dial and high-beat automatic — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

• The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
• The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.