Baume & Mercier Clifton Club Watches … Perfect Summer Companions

Summer time presents an opportunity to reconnect with friends, family and loved ones in a variety of  great places — many of them outdoors. From the beach, to barbecues, to hiking trails and exotic locations in between, summer is a time to enjoy and have a good time. That means that when it comes to the watch on your wrist, you want it to be equally as easy and ready-to-go the distance with you.  A tested versatile timepiece is a requirement for the modern man. In keeping with the theme of versatility and adaptability, the Baume & Mercier Clifton Club Quartz collection  represents the ultimate in affordable timepieces that are as at home on your wrist at the Jersey Shore as they are in the office or running for a plane on long summer weekends.

Essentially, the entire Clifton Club line is designed with the idea of offering an aesthetic that presents supreme functional versatility – great aesthetics and quality at an affordable price. Equally capable of being pared with a three piece suit or a swim suit, the  ‘Gentlesportsman’ watches are the perfect summer companion. The recent addition to the family comes in the the form of Clifton Club Quartz watches, and there is something in the line for everyone. The watches feature matte a date window at the three o’clock position. The dials are treated with a protective Zapon varnish to ward off oxidation and to help with legibility. The date windows match the respective watch face, matte black date window for the black dial or white for the blue dial. With a case measuring 42mm and crafted from 316L stainless steel, each watch is 9.55 mm thin — allowing for the piece to deftly and easily slide underneath the cuff of a dress shirt if needed. However, these watches are more comfortable being shown off.

Unique to the quartz series, each watch has a non-rotating and snailed bezel that helps drive the athletic, and each is water resistant to 100 meters. Adding to the sport watch feel is the dynamic and pronounced orange second hand that pops against the dial, and the Superluminova treatment given to the curved indexes and the Phi logo, which is a symbol of balance positioned at 12 o’clock.

The Clifton Club Quartz line boasts four variants to choose from, either a matte black or sun satin finished blue watch face. The opaline black dial comes on a suede style black watch strap with orange rubberized calfskin, edged on the reverse. Exclusive for North America there is a white dial version of this, as well. The other variants offer either the black watch dial or sun satin finished blue dial on a three row stainless steel bracelet. The watches retail starting at $1,290 and the bracelet version is $1,490.

I am often asked by friends that are looking for timepiece at the $1,000 – $2,000 price point. That area of the market is currently crowded by a multitude of pieces and can offer confusion for the neophyte watch connoisseur. Let me help end that confusion, this watch should be at the top of that list. Sleek styling, vibrant accents of orange that add to the sportiness of the line, the versatility of the piece from it easily sliding underneath the cuff of a dress shirt to its durability on your next hike, this piece has it all.