At Watches and Wonders 2026, Baume & Mercier made a major statement by debuting an entirely new women's watch line— Joia — alongside faithful, historically accurate revivals of its most famous sport and dress watches. Rather than just shrinking a men's model, the Maison built this bijou-inspired series from the ground up, drawing inspiration from a historical 1980s archive piece. The watches in this line are dainty, lug-free 28 mm round case in polished stainless steel and a domed crown set with black agate. Three main references (M0A10847, M0A10848, and M0A10849) offer tool-free interchangeable straps and bracelets. They are paired with a clean, silvery sun-satin dial. Reference M0A10850 serves as the ultimate jewellery piece. It features 40 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel and a beautiful criss-crossed satin finish dial that echoes its texturised mailles écrasées style bracelet.
Riviera novelties pay homage to the original model launched during the Quartz Crisis in 1973, when the brand introduced the Riviera 73 watches. The brand also updated its classic dress watch portfolios with the new Classima and Hampton models. A limited edition of just 20 pieces was also introduced — Clifton Perpetual Calendar — powered by the flagship Baumatic manufacture movement, featuring an ice-blue dial.
At the fair, we got to sit down with Michael Guenoun, Chief Executive Officer, Baume & Mercier, to chat about the new novelties, his role, Janhvi Kapoor as a friend of the brand and more. Here are some edited excerpts from the interview.
WatchTime Inda: You've spent more than two decades within Richemont. What distinguishes Baume & Mercier within the group today, and where do you see its strongest evolution?
Michael Guenoun: Baume & Mercier is a Maison with almost 200 years of heritage, savoir-faire and a beautiful story. There are very few watchmakers with such a rich patrimony, and we are privileged to continue this journey with creativity and audacity for both men and women. This year, we are launching a new line dedicated to women, called Riviera Joaillerie (Joia), which marks a very important step for the Maison. It reflects our ambition to accelerate our presence in the feminine segment with a dedicated collection.
WTI: Where did the idea for a ladies's collection come from? Why now?
MG: For nearly 200 years, Baume & Mercier has cultivated strong creativity and craftsmanship around jewellery watches and pocket watches. The Baume brothers themselves created jewellery watches for women and won numerous awards for them. When exploring our archives and museum collection, which contains around 1,200 pieces that we affectionately call "pieces of heart", we rediscovered a beautiful creation from the 1920s. I personally fell in love with that watch, especially its diamond setting, and we decided to reinterpret it with contemporary design codes. That historic piece became the inspiration for the Joia collection. So, although the collection is new, its roots go back to the 1920s.
WTI: Baume & Mercier has been doubling down on everyday complications and wearable watchmaking. How intentional is this positioning?
MG: We are fortunate to have a broad offering today. For women, we have dedicated collections with quartz movements, while for men and women we also offer automatic movements. We have our own Baumatic calibre with a five-day power reserve. Our objective is to create timeless pieces that achieve a balance between aesthetics and technical excellence. That harmony is really the beauty of Baume & Mercier today.
WTI: Are we likely to see more in-house movement development, or will the focus remain on reliability and design?
MG: The Baumatic movement, with its five-day power reserve, is central to the Clifton collection. We recently introduced a perpetual calendar featuring a distinctive ice-blue dial with guilloché decoration, combining technical sophistication with strong aesthetics. For us, innovation in movement development remains very important. At the same time, design is equally essential. It's always about finding the right balance between the two.
WTI: Many of the Watches and Wonders novelties revive or reinterpret historical models. Why not create something entirely new?
MG: We strongly believe in heritage and authenticity. Authenticity is extremely important in the world of Baume & Mercier. Our creations are not born from nowhere; they are part of a continuous reinterpretation of past creativity through a contemporary lens. Joia, for example, is an entirely new collection, but it remains deeply connected to the codes and history of Baume & Mercier. Consumers today appreciate authenticity, and we believe creativity should always be rooted in the Maison's heritage.
WTI: India is emerging as an important luxury market. What opportunities do you see there for Baume & Mercier?
MG: I am a big fan of India and strongly believe in its tremendous potential. In fact, our relationship with India goes back around 150 years. Shortly after opening our first subsidiary in London, Baume & Mercier began exporting watches to India. The Baume brothers themselves drew inspiration from the country and developed distribution there. So while many people are talking about India today, it is not a new story for Baume & Mercier. We see a great deal of affection and respect for the brand in India, and we are very happy with our performance in the market. We have a strong desire to continue expanding in India and are delighted to begin our collaboration with Janhvi Kapoor. We have many exciting initiatives planned for the country.
WTI: How did you decide on Janhvi Kapoor as a brand ambassador?
MG: We strongly believe that she embodies the values of Baume & Mercier—authenticity, creativity and audacity. She is a perfect match for the Maison and particularly for JOYA. Baume & Mercier is a Maison of celebration, and we are very happy to celebrate this collaboration with Janhvi Kapoor.
WTI: As CEO, you have insight into buying behaviours across markets. How is India different from mature markets such as the US or other Asian countries?
MG: We see enormous potential in India. With our diverse collections for both men and women, we are able to address a wide audience. There is a growing appetite for authentic luxury watches and Swiss watchmaking. This interest is not new, but it is accelerating. We are seeing more and more young Indians creating blogs and discussing watchmaking, and we love that enthusiasm. We intend to continue supporting this momentum.
WTI: How do you ensure new releases stay true to the brand's DNA?
MG: Authenticity is always the starting point of our creative process. Everything we do must remain true to our heritage and DNA. With nearly 200 years of history, preserving that authenticity is our top priority.
WTI: After more than 20 years in the industry, what still excites you about watchmaking?
MG: Every day brings excitement. Baume & Mercier is a Maison of celebration—we celebrate every moment. Whether it is launching a new collection, collaborating with Janhvi Kapoor, or seeing clients embrace our creations, these moments continue to inspire us and bring us joy.
WTI: Is there a particular Baume & Mercier watch that you personally resonate with?
MG: As a father, I like to say that choosing a favourite watch is like choosing among your children—I love them all. That said, I am currently wearing the Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar, and I truly love this watch.
WTI: What advice would you give someone entering the luxury watch industry today?
MG: Stay authentic—authentic to the brand, authentic to the creations and authentic to your values. And above all, enjoy the experience. Luxury and watchmaking should always be about pleasure and celebration.
Images: Courtesy Brand
Also Read :
Watches and Wonders 2026: Baume & Mercier launches the Joia de Baume & Mercier collection
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Watches and Wonder 2025: Baume and Mercier reinvent classics in the Riviera, Clifton and Hampton line
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Baume & Mercier update three collections at Watches and Wonders 2022
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