Baume & Mercier William Baume Jumping Hour (ref. M0A08857)

This autumn, the Swiss watch maker will hit the stores with a new limited edition watch. Called Baume & Mercier William Baume Jumping Hour (ref. M0A08857), it is what it is: a dressy automatic watch featuring a not so common jumping hour complication.

The watch is powered by the well-known Dubois Depraz 14400 automatic movement, which, in its own turn, is a modification of the ubiquitous ETA 2892A2 ebauche.

The same movement was used in their older Classima Executives L Automatic Jumping Hour, as well as in the last year’s Edox Grand Ocean Sea Dubai watch. Both featured completely the same dial layout: a jumping hour display at 12 o’clock, a slightly off-centered along the vertical axis minute hand display, and a smaller second hand sub-dial at 6 o’clock.

Of course, being a member of the classic-styled William Baume collection (i.e. sold at a much higher price than the rest of the pack,) the William Baume Jumping Hour watch features a completely different styling of its body and face.

Available only in a rose gold case, the watch comes equipped with either silvered or black dial, both featuring a cross weave guilloché motif and sunburst satin-brushed finish on the minute and second sub dials.

Sure, in terms of technical ingenuity, this model doesn’t even come close to the last year’s A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk model. Also, equipped with a mass-produced movement developed by a third-party company, it is by no means a high-end product as some bloggers try to position the device.

However, if you are more interested in style rather than in technical specifications, the Baume & Mercier William Baume Jumping Hour watch is among the best offerings on the market.

B&M plans to start selling this model in September, 2010, limiting the watch’s production to only 40 units (since the black-dialed and silver-dialed versions sport different reference numbers, I gather that the total run will be 80 examples.) In the U.S., it will retail at about $19,900, but I am sure that you will be able to find a good bargain and get it well below the $15,000 mark.

Or you can simply get yourself the gorgeous Patek Philippe 5196R Calatrava model for the same price.

Photos: Baume & Mercier

Baume & Mercier William Baume Jumping Hour automatic watch (ref. M0A08857) specification:

Price range: $19,900
Movement: Dubois Depraz 14400, automatic
Complications: Jumping hours
Power reserve: N/A
Case material: Red gold
Bezel material: Red gold
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 41 mm
Case height: 9.6 mm
Dial: Silvered, guilloched
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Red gold
Water resistance: N/A
Strap: Brown leather
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Sapphire