Jeweller - March 2020

Baume & Mercier pursues expansion
in Australian market
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AUSTRALIA
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Daniel Braillard, chief operating officer Baume & Mercier, recently visited Australia.
Swiss watch brand Baume &
Mercier is expanding its presence in
Australia, nine months after signing
a distribution deal with Duraflex
Group Australia (DGA).
The company – which is part of
luxury conglomerate Richemont –
has manufactured timepieces in
the Swiss Jura region for 190 years.
Daniel Braillard, chief operating
officer Baume & Mercier, recently
flew to Australia to introduce its
latest model, the Clifton Baumatic
10468, to the market.
“We have just started a new
partnership with Duraflex to
really reinforce our distribution in
Australia. They certainly know the
market better, and the culture of
the country, and for us it’s a great
opportunity to develop thanks to
this new collaboration,” Braillard
told Jeweller.
Phil Edwards, managing director
DGA, said, “The addition of Baume
& Mercier to our stable of brands
has proved an exciting development,
and also a learning curve in a
positive respect.
“It has been an opportunity to
build relationships with new retail
partners in the luxury market,
expanding our customer base.”
watches of the highest quality’, but
it is more than a motto – I would
call it a philosophy. Everything we
do within the brand is linked with
quality and durability,” he explained.
The Clifton Baumatic 10468 is
inspired by vintage Baume
& Mercier dress watches from
the 1950s, though it contains an
innovative new movement that was
developed in-house at Baume
& Mercier over a five-year period.
According to Braillard, it has four
primary benefits which retailers
can use as selling points.
These include: a five-day power
reserve, high-precision movement
certified by the prestigious Contrôle
Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres
(COSC), resistance to magnetic
fields, and advanced lubrication
for improved durability – nearly
doubling the time between services.
Meanwhile, Edwards told Jeweller
that DGA would be supporting
Baume & Mercier retailers with a
comprehensive marketing strategy,
including “targeted social media
campaigns”, and “influential
editorials and watch reviews to
drive brand awareness”.
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Braillard emphasised Baume
& Mercier’s long history and
commitment to Swiss-made
quality and precision.
“Our motto is, ‘Accept only
perfection, only manufacture
Edwards added, “To further build
on this, we are also aligning with
selected celebrities such as [TV
presenter] Neale Whitaker and
[actor] Daniel MacPherson who
have a passion for the brand.”
E pink@samsgroup.com.au W samsgroup.com.au P 02 9290 2199