More than a few prominent watchmakers are reaching into their pasts for design inspiration, a trend well-illustrated by this stellar timepiece from Baume & Mercier. To celebrate its 175th anniversary, the Swiss brand has produced a limited worldwide run of 175 pilot-style chronographs based on a model it originally launched in 1948. Strap the automatic-winding Classima Executives Limited Edition on your wrist and revisit the days when barnstormers were making headlines and watches were created with vital purpose—calculating one's fuel for that cross-country flight, for instance, or timing each leg of the journey.
Quite comfortable to wear, the substantial but not overbearing heft of the eighteen-karat rose-gold case is a tactile reminder that your watch is a finely crafted machine. The black face and alligator strap are classic. The telemeter display and nicely balanced sub dials, along with the fluted, cone-shaped crown, are telling retro touches. Now, as in the midtwentieth century, the Classima Executives is sure to be popular with both aviators and the rest of us.
Scorecard: Baume & Mercier Classima Executives Limited Edition
DIAMETER: 39 mm
HEIGHT: 16.35 mm
CASE: Rose gold
MOVEMENT: Automatic chronograph
PRICE: $8,500
CONTACT: 800-637-2437, baume-and-mercier.com
