subject: Baume & Mercier William Baume Jumping Hour Watches Limited Edition [print this page] Baume & Mercier William Baume Collection is exclusively composed of models crafted in harmony with the purest watchmaking tradition and housing complication movements.
All models in the collection, which is annually renewed byLimited Edition, revive the brand's origins through haute horlogerie movements closely linked with its historical heritage.
In 2010, Baume & Mercier is adding a new complication to the William Baume Collection with Jumping Hour Watchesfeaturing a silver-colored or black dial and boasting the extremely refined finishing and retro-contemporary design that are characteristic of the William Baume Collection.
Jumping Hour, the first "digital" complication
Jumping Hour is a complication that displays the hours in the form of numbers appearing through an aperture, instead of showing them with a hand. Jumping Hour models are thus referred to as the first "digital" complications in horological history. Printed on a rotating disk, the numbers instantly "jump" when the hour changes, while the minutes and seconds are generally indicated by hands.
The first known jumping hour watch is a pocket-watch made by French watchmaker Blondeau for the king of France in around 1830 the exact founding date of the "Freres Baume" company that was to give rise to Baume & Mercier.
Newly launched in 2010, the interpretation of the William Baume Collection displays the hours in an aperture at 12 o'clock, while the minutes and seconds are indicated by red gold hands on two separate subdials. The silver-colored or black dial is adorned with a crossweave guilloche motif and sunburst satin-brushed finish on the subdials. The self-winding movement is visible through the large opening in the sapphire crystal case-back, enabling one to admire the circular-grained and snailed finishing on the mainplate and bridges, as well as the openworked oscillating weight with Cotes de Geneve decoration.
The XL sized (41mm) case is crafted in 18-carat red gold with applied lugs. The hand-sewn black or chocolate brown alligator leather strap is enhanced by a red gold pin buckle. These two new William Baume models will be launched inLimited numbered series of 40 for each dial version.
