Baume & Mercier is a luxury Swiss watchmaker founded as “Frères Baume” by brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume in 1830. The brothers’ business grew rapidly due to their excellent reputation for quality timepieces, and by 1851 the company branched out by opening a shop in London. Early in the 1920s, company director William Baume partnered with Paul Mercier to form Baume & Mercier as we know the company today. During the 1940s, they began designing wrist watches for women using creative and elegant designs. In 1988, Baume & Mercier joined the Richemont Group. Their popular current lines of watches includes Riviera, Clifton, Classima, and Baume.