Background
William Baume was born into a notable family of watchmakers in the village of Les Bois in the Swiss Jura.
William Baume was born into a notable family of watchmakers in the village of Les Bois in the Swiss Jura.
He had previously completed his watchmaking apprenticeship with Mathey-Tissot at Les Ponts-de-Martel, about 30 kilometers from Les Bois between Le Locle and Neuchâtel.
lieutenant was to become one of Switzerland’s major watch manufacturers in the 19th century, with branches in London, Geneva and Philadelphia. In 1892, its tourbillon chronometer set an absolute timekeeping record at the Kew Observatory trials that stood for 10 years. Mathey-Tissot, established in 1886, was specialised in complicated watches, especially minute-repeaters and precision chronographs.
lieutenant was thus with this specialist background that William Baume joined the family firm in 1909, working for a year with his father until he was entrusted with the management of the company in 1910.
William Baume had then just turned 25. After a family row, William Baume left Les Bois in 1918, shortly after the end of World War I. He settled in Geneva with the intention of starting a watch company that would take over from the Baume firm.
The two men joined forces to found Baume & Mercier in Geneva in 1918. Paul Mercier looked after the business side, while William Baume supervised the technical and watchmaking aspects.
Their complementary talents ensured the quick success of the business, which relied on William Baume’s experience and the reputation of the Baume firm.
William Baume’s watchmaking competence and Paul Mercier’s business acumen enabled Baume & Mercier to prosper during the economic crises of the late 1920s. William Baume died in Geneva in 1956.
The Baume watch brand won distinctions at the universal expositions between 1860 and 1900, including a number of gold medals and Grand Prix for its watches. As an accomplished watchmaker and hard worker, William Baume was instrumental in qualifying Baume & Mercier watches in 1919 for the prestigious Poinçon de Genève, the hallmark of the best quality Geneva watchmaking.
