Baume Mercier Riviera XXL Review

This is a short review of the Baume & Mercier Riviera XXL.

I have reviewed the Magnum model of this watch and you can read the in detail review here.

I was shocked by the bauty of this watch. It struck me much more than the Magnum. I right away decided to have it and here it is for you all to view.

Oh, and it seems like it will be the last review of this year... :)

1. The Dealer
I have learnt not to praise dealers blindly, as what is white one day can turn black very quickly. We have all experienced this. But let's thank our apprentice dealer here, as for now everything is going more than well : responsive (you get your answer within the day, sometimes within the hour depending on the local tim)e, he's fast and helpful. What I aprreciate WT is that he sends you a picture of your watch upon request : that's the best service to avoid some unpleasant surpises (wrong model for instance). It's also an evidence that your watch is not dropshipped. Of course it does not warranty that you have a perfect rep, but somehow I feel better with pics BEFORE.
Got the thing within a small week after the order was placed. It was also priced cheaper than the Cartel dealers.

2. How is it as a watch ?
You might think that I'm a bit too enthusiastic on that Baume & Mercier and therefore don't see the flaws. But actually I have had this watch for more than 10 days now (arrived a few days before Christmas), and honestly, I do not have anything to say against this Riviera as a watch ! The only watch which brought me the same feeling this year was the HBB. And the SFSO to some extent, although it had a slightly misaligned bezel.

The look and feel are close to perfect, as I do not like to use extensively the word "perfect" for reps. Some of you know I often wander in the "cheap field", but I also own some higher cost reps (Nautilus, VCO, HBB, SFSO, Montblanc Timewalker). The Riviera just looks and seems built as a gen :

- the bracelet is a beautiful mix of polished/brushed plain stainless steel. That is not uncommon. But what I loved is that I could resize it in a few minutes, without any anger. No scratch, no sweat ! :pinch: The screws are so easy to handle, and that was a real pleasure after my #"*% experience with the Chinese Nautilus or worse, the VCO ! Believe me, that makes half the satisfaction of getting the watch. If so much care is brought to the bracelet, you easily imagine that the rest follows...
Needless to say that it's comfortable as it comes : I did not need to use any kind of polish or WD40. Look at the pictures, you'll see how soft it folds.

- the clasp is a double deployant one, which is what I prefer, by far. Easier to open/close and much more comfortable for small wrists like mine. Besides, it is fully polished... That might sound strange, but I unfortunately experienced raw edges with some supposed high quality reps, and that one just looks perfect. The engravings are also as they should be : sharp !

- the dial, mmm, the dial : I don't know exactly why but there's a real feeling of top quality : maybe the mix of modern and classic attributes. All is so crisp, clear and perfectly aligned (the pictures don't prove the perfect alignment of the hands, but believe me, they ARE). Advertized as "AR coated", the sapphire crystal does not show the usual blue hue. I must say I'm quite stuck here. I have no evidence of an AR coating, but actually there is no bad reflection and everything is clear and pops up under any angle. I don't know what to confirm, that's pretty confusing. Never heard of a clear AR coating on reps yet.
I particularly loved the large hands and the shape of the small one.

- the crown and pushers are also a pleasure : big flat crown, which screws down without any trouble

- the caseback is mirror polished with an elegant engraving. I would have liked it to be a bit deeper, as this one could look like a simple laser etching. But it seems to follow the genuine...

- the movement : I have not and won't open the caseback, but the Riviera is run by a 28,8 K Asian 7750. Unlike my 21,6K 7750, the date needs less time to switch, I mean it will switch at 12.00 !!
The rotor is supposed to be customized too... That means a high level of finishing, as noone will see it ! :thumbsup:

- the lume is quite good. Always one of the weak points on reps, as we all know. Not as good as the SFSO, but much better than most f my other reps. And the illuminated digits are just beautiful... Probably a pain to relume :headhurt:

- the bezel : a chunky, nicely brushed piece, those who like the AP or Hublot style will like this one, for sure. 12 sides, that stand for the 12 hours...

Surely the best rep out of the box for me in 2007. I don't hesitate to rate it over the (lite) HBB, as the Big Bang suffers from a clasp that hurts most wrists...

3. How is it as a rep ?
The first thing to mention is that the Riviera (chrono) exists in 2 sizes : XL (40 mm) and XXL (43mm). The rep is actually based on the XXL but seems to be a bit smaller (42,xx mm)

My first problem was to find the white one with a bracelet on Baume&Mercier's website : impossible. The only white one is the XL Riviera (8227), which is damn close, except the hours font. Still, I included it in the comparison to show that the rest is spot on...
The black XXL with SS bracelet actually exists, but has a slightly different dial (6 and 12 subdials).

Now, speaking of rubber strap models, you will find all the same colors as we have in the offered reps (white, black and panda). This is the third watch on my comparison picture. And let's say it : virtually undistinguishable from the gen. As for the datefont, well, it seems to be a standard ETA 7750 font, which is obviously well replicated too. But I must say I'm not a real expert in these matters. I hope someone will confirm.
I don't want to bring the conclusion that the rubber strap versions are better reps, as I still hope to find a white XXL version with SS bracelet, and will update my review accordingly. But for the moment, it seems to be the case.

Gens can be found between 2500 and 3000 dollars, i.e. "pretty affordable". And that probably makes this rep further better to fool your neighbours :gun: Whereas I will never be able to buy a genuine PATEK or Vacheron Constantin, this Baume & Mercier is the field where I would more comfortably wander. I would compare this brand and this rep to Montblanc watches.

Now I'd like to explain my title : is the Riviera replica able to fool even experts against the gen ? That's the quest of many collectors... And I would tend to say YES. The gen has a (Swiss) ETA 7750, and we have the Asian good clone. If the rep makers come with a Swiss version or if we can swap the movement, we'll have a watch that will be 99% close to the gen !