Baume & Mercier

Baume & Mercier Men's 8797 Riviera Chronograph Strap Watch

• Quality Swiss Automatic movement; Functions without a battery; Powers automatically with the movement of your arm
• Scratch-resistant-sapphire crystal; Band width between lugs 11.5 mm; Band width at the widest point: 24.5 mm
• Case diameter: 43 mm

Product Description

The Baume & Mercier Story

Baume & Mercier has a rich history in storied tradition of Swiss watchmaking, now over 170 years. In 1830, brothers Louis Victor and Pierre-Joseph-Celestin Baume established the Baume Freres Watch firm in the Swiss Jura region--the heart of the Swiss watch industry. As business flourished in Europe a grandson of the founder, William Baume met Paul Mercier, a great lover of the arts and in 1918 they created a business partnership. The contrast of the rigorous, precise Baume with the artistic, free thinking Mercier fused form and function to create the traditions of perfection, quality, and luxury that still exist today.

In 1964, Baume & Mercier registered the Greek letter PHI as its brand logo, and it continues to be present on all Baume & Mercier designs. A symbol of the golden ratio and Leonard de Vinci's theory of proportion, it represents aesthetic elegance based on "divine proportions" that remain the brand's cardinal values.

the designers at Baume & Mercier utilize the goldmine of the company's over 175 years of watch-making history--from the oval of a crown to the graphics of a dial--to create the aesthetic contours of new timepieces. Inspired by a rectangular pink gold watch introduced by Baume & Mercier in 1960, the signature Hampton line of watches was created as a blend of watchmaking tradition and contemporary design. And the company still lives by the original slogan of the Baume brothers when they started Baume Freres: "Accept only perfection, only manufacture watches of the highest quality."

Product Description

Baume & Mercier, Riviera, Men's Watch, Stainless Steel Case, Fabric Strap, Swiss Mechanical Automatic (Self-Winding), MOAO8797

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001K3IXGY
• Item model number: 8797
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,173 in Watches (See Top 100 in Watches)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite watch, March 25, 2011

By 

s.graham "s.graham" (LA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baume & Mercier Men's 8797 Riviera Chronograph Strap Watch (Watch)

This is a great looking watch, and I've never seen it on anyone else, which living in Los Angeles is a big deal. I wrestled with myself for a month about getting this watch. I usually get immediate buyer's remorse as soon as I succumb to my addiction and hit BUY on something as frivolous and overpriced as a quality timepiece, but the second I opened the box and saw this baby that all went away. I love the juxtaposition of the matte black finish on the bezel and dial against the polished steel of the case and subtle detailing of the chrono dial. The dial itself is absolutely stunning with just the right amount of orange to black contrast. A great masculine, athletic looking watch, but not so much that its ostentatious. (Not to step on any toes, but come on Panerai, its big enough already) The chronograph movement is of the highest quality, very crisp and substantial when you push the buttons and pull the crown, like you would expect from a premiere Swiss watch house like B&M. Usually I prefer a tang and buckle to a deployment strap because deployments always pinch and cut off circulation. This one is no different in the pinch department, but the sail cloth has a nice pliable finish, and doesn't feel as stiff and restricting as most leather straps.

The other reviews are correct in pointing out the lack of illumination on the numbers, it does glow after exposure to direct sunlight, but nowhere near as bright compared to my Seamaster. This may be an unfair comparison though, you can see that thing from the moon at full glow.

I'm an architect, so I got this thinking it would be a great everyday job site workhorse between the weekend G-shock and the office Omega, but it looks so good I don't want to mess it up. Get it, its awesome.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful watch, solid construction, January 24, 2011

By 

skasem - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baume & Mercier Men's 8797 Riviera Chronograph Strap Watch (Watch)

I've already received countless compliments on this watch. I'm very happy with the purchase. Currently it is enjoying more wrist time than many of my other watches (including a very jealous IWC Portuguese). It's my 4th automatic watch so far, and the first that doesn't have a leather strap. Hand-crafted mechanical movements are definitely the way to go.

The sailcloth strap turns out to be a good material for diving or swimming, and also gives the watch an elegant yet casual feel. The watch is rather heavy, and has a solid presence, as most well built automatic watches should. Also, I have a very small wrist, but I'm able to pull off this watch without it looking ridiculous at all. I should also mention that the strap has a deployant clasp (not sure if the pictures on amazon show that), which is an added bonus. I believe the movement to be a Valjoux 7750 - the same as in the IWC Portuguese Chronograph, as well as many other pieces.

The only complaint I would have is the picture that Baume et Mercier chose for this watch - it makes the rotating bezel seem like it has a shine (which it does not), and makes the color of the roman numerals look more of a yellow/gold color. Keep in mind that this color is actually the same exact orange as that of the stitching on the strap as well as the inside of the strap. Look at the picture of this watch from overstock.com if you would like to see the watch in its true color. Lastly, as the other reviewer mentioned, the luminescence isn't that great.

Regardless, I couldn't help but give it 5 stars. It's Swiss made, has an automatic movement, has a gorgeous face with a very unique strap, and is listed at a fraction of it's retail price.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forget Tag, December 12, 2011

By 

Alistair Lobo "anchorman" (Stamford, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baume & Mercier Men's 8797 Riviera Chronograph Strap Watch (Watch)

I can't disagree with any of the reviews posted - I ended up purchasing this watch without even trying it on, and there is no buyers remorse here.

This model of B&M is no longer available by the manufacturer, which is why Amazon is marking it down a hefty 63% (at the time of this writing).

All I can say is get one while it is in stock. To give a little bit of background, I currently own a Movado (also a beautiful watch, see my other reviews) and I was looking for something a bit more sporty and casual. I tried on a few Tags to see how they would feel, but none of them had the same character as this watch, and they all felt very bulky on my smaller wrists.

Not this one. The weighty dial is offset by a beautiful sailcloth strap which accentuates the whole piece. The movement (including chronograph) is eerily reminiscent of the Tags I tried on. For me this watch is the perfect union of form and function - it feels perfectly balanced on my wrist and looks absolutely gorgeous.

The movement is automatic, which means it recharges based on kinetic energy from your wrist movements. And since the strap is cloth, it requires no additional adjustments from a jeweler. If you are in the market for a sporty but elegant watch, without the fuss or the stigma of owning a Tag, your search should end here.