Baume & Mercier M0A10797

Baume & Mercier Riviera 39 Baumatic M0A10797 Google Watches@ Edition

THE DIAL Featuring a smokey grey sapphire dial, the M0A10797's Google‑inspired customizations subtly reveal themselves such as its colorful date wheel and Watches@ "@" logo at 7 o'clock, and at the 31st date position on the date wheel. THE CONSTRUCTION Featuring a wonderfully wearable 39mm x 10.2mm construction with an integrated bracelet, the Riviera is a stylish, comfortable, and sporty watch that can easily handle daily wear. Founded in 1830, Baume and Mercier are a well-established watchmaker that have created an impressive back catalog that includes some highly-respected models much the Riviera, which traces its origins all the way back to 1973. Designed by the prolific Jean-Claude Gueit, father to another very prolific watch designer, Emmanuel Gueit, the Riviera was modelled on the luxury sports watch aesthetic that the Royal Oak had created. While unrelated, it is rather romantic that Jean-Claude’s son Emmanuel would end up designing the Royal Oak Offshore, another watch inspired by the Royal Oak, albeit more directly. Offered here we have the Riviera 39 Baumatic ref. M0A10797, which was created as part of the collection’s updated lineage, but with a twist. Indeed, this particular reference is no ordinary Riviera 39 Baumatic, it is part of a 50-piece special limited-edition variant made in collaboration with the watch collector group Watches@, made up of Google staff members. Based on the serially-produced Riviera 39 Baumatic ref. 10748, the ref. M0A10797 features some subtle nods to Watches@ and their employer Google, such as a colorful date wheel that only subtly reveals itself beneath the smoked grey transparent sapphire dial. Also, it features the Watches@ “@” logo at 8 o’clock, and the massive number that Google’s name is inspired by (a Googol, which is 10 followed by 100 zeros, stylized as 10^100) at 7:30. Boasting a commemorative and individual-numbered caseback, this timepiece is a wonderful homage to the Riviera’s iconic and stylish aesthetic while also paying tasteful tribute to Google and Watches@’s democratically-led design influence.