WristWatch Magazine | Page 79

BAUME & MERCIER WITH SHELBY COBRA As a long-time fan of Baume et Mercier I’ll admit that I’ve looked forward to the brand’s eventual return to a sports watch ever since the demise of their Formula S in the 1990s. The snake on the dial tells you in an instant that Baume is back in the sport watch mix. Baume & Mercier has indeed partnered with Shelby Cobra in a collaborative watch that captures the motorsport feel within the frame work of the existing Capeland coachworks, without losing its own personality. Moving out of the safely buckled, speed-limit abiding role of previous Capelands, this new Shelby Cobra watch downshifts and pops the throttle on the collection. A bi-compax dial with wide stripes, a speedometer-like sub-dial, and red accents supercharge the limited edition. Inside the 44 mm steel ($4,450) or 18kt rose gold ($19,950) case beats an automatic chronograph by La Joux Perret visible under Carrol Shelby’s signature emblazoned on the sapphire crystal back. 2016 | WRISTWATCH 77