In 2026, Baume & Mercier enhances its iconic collection with Riviera 73, a new series featuring three new 39 mm models, each featuring a quartz movement, celebrating the original aesthetic of the first Riviera launched in 1973. In keeping with the spirit of the collection, Riviera 73 showcases design finesse, dial clarity, and balanced proportions for a timepiece that combines heritage and contemporary sophistication.
A contemporary vision of Riviera elegance
With the Riviera 73, Baume & Mercier reinterprets the aesthetic spirit of the first generation of the Riviera launched in 1973. Since its launch, this model stood out for its unique silhouette and a design approach that blends modernity and elegance. Its dodecagonal case – the collection’s signature – introduced a bold geometry to the watchmaking world of the time, while its balanced proportions and understated lines asserted a style that is both timeless and distinctive. Riviera 73 carries forward the style of the collection, reinterpreting its founding codes in a contemporary way while remaining faithful to its original spirit.
The Riviera 73 M0A10844, M0A10845 and M0A10845 models, featuring a 39 mm diameter, are powered by a quartz movement. Their 7.7m thickness emphasises its harmonious proportions, and the dodecagonal bezel without visible screwsalong with wide dial opening showcase the elegance of its shape. On the case back, each model features the engraving “73” among vertical stripes, evoking the deck of a boat, and a typography inspired by the 1970s, a discreet signature that echoes the collection’s origins.
The history of the Riviera collection
Created in 1973, the Riviera collection stands out for its bold, innovative style, as one of the first steel sport chic watches. It was memorable from its launch, with its dodecagonal case and metal flat-link strap;style elements that laid the foundations of an original, immediately recognizable watch identity. The first generation was launched in quartz, and it quickly became available in a self-winding version, asserting the care brought to both design and technical achievement.
The second generation, released in 1980, introduced bicolor versions and the first appearance of the name ‘Riviera’ on the dial. In 1983, the collection stood out for its ultra-thin quartz movement with a thickness of just 2.5 mm and unprecedented complications such as a split-seconds, a perpetual calendar, and a second time zone. The third generation, launched in 1985, featured softened edges on the case and strap, played on polished and satin finishes, and incorporated a miniaturized crown for better water-tightness. The fourth generation, presented in 2004, included two distinct styles: a classic model and a sporty one, recognisable by its bezel equipped with four screws.
In 2021, the fifth generation affirmed the modernity of the Riviera with feminine 36 mm models and masculine 42 mm ones, some equipped with the Baumatic movement, others by a self-winding movement, featuring a dial adorned with a mountain-and-wave pattern. The collection was then extended to 39 mm self-winding and Baumatic models, as well as women’s 33 mm timepieces equipped with self-winding and quartz movements. Lastly, in 2025, the collection was completed by 41 mm chronographs, confirming the precision and unique style of the Riviera.
Today, the Riviera 73 continues to write history with a new expression of the Riviera design, inspired by the aesthetic codes of the first generation.
