Baume & Mercier Goes Racing At The Gran Premio Storico d'Italia With A Riviera Chrono

Most racing limited editions are a regular watch with an event logo and some racing colors. And this one is no different. Except the new (let me catch my breath for this one) Baume & Mercier Riviera Chronograph Automatic Gran Premio Storico d’Italia Limited Edition gets a really, really nice racing color combination. It was also released last weekend to mark Baume & Mercier's position as the official timekeeper at the Gran Premio Storico d'Italia, the historic racing weekend held at Mugello from October 2 to 4 with Ferrari Corse Clienti.

The case is the standard Riviera chronograph: 41mm wide and 13.94mm thick, in steel with alternating polished and brushed surfaces. The 12-sided bezel, held down by four exposed screws, gives the Riviera the iconic look. On top is a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, and the sapphire crystal caseback is printed with the event logo. Water resistance is 100 meters.

The dial is opaline white, with snailed green sub-dial rings and a matching green minute track, then red chronograph hands across the top. Green, white and red is a lot of flag references, but the use of the colors is so minimal that it doesn't become a gimmick. Rhodium-plated Roman numerals and indexes are lumed, as are the faceted hour and minute hands.

Inside is the Valjoux 7753, an automatic chronograph that runs at 4Hz with a 48-hour power reserve. Small seconds sit at nine o'clock, the 30-minute counter at three, the 12-hour counter at six, and the date at 4:30. The strap is an integrated black rubber with a canvas-textured surface, closed with a triple-folding steel clasp.

The Baume & Mercier Riviera Chronograph GPSI (ref. 10897) is a limited edition, I'm just not sure how many are being made. Price is set at €4,700. See more on the Baume & Mercier website.