Baume & Mercier Men's 8797 Riviera Chronograph Strap Watch

 (11 customer reviews)

This is a great looking watch, and I've never seen it on anyone else, which living in Los Angeles is a big deal. I wrestled with myself for a month about getting this watch. I usually get immediate buyer's remorse as soon as I succumb to my addiction and hit BUY on something as frivolous and overpriced as a quality timepiece, but the second I opened the box and saw this baby that all went away. I love the juxtaposition of the matte black finish on the bezel and dial against the polished steel of the case and subtle detailing of the chrono dial. The dial itself is absolutely stunning with just the right amount of orange to black contrast. A great masculine, athletic looking watch, but not so much that its ostentatious. (Not to step on any toes, but come on Panerai, its big enough already) The chronograph movement is of the highest quality, very crisp and substantial when you push the buttons and pull the crown, like you would expect from a premiere Swiss watch house like B&M. Usually...Read more

I've already received countless compliments on this watch. I'm very happy with the purchase. Currently it is enjoying more wrist time than many of my other watches (including a very jealous IWC Portuguese). It's my 4th automatic watch so far, and the first that doesn't have a leather strap. Hand-crafted mechanical movements are definitely the way to go.

The sailcloth strap turns out to be a good material for diving or swimming, and also gives the watch an elegant yet casual feel. The watch is rather heavy, and has a solid presence, as most well built automatic watches should. Also, I have a very small wrist, but I'm able to pull off this watch without it looking ridiculous at all. I should also mention that the strap has a deployant clasp (not sure if the pictures on amazon show that), which is an added bonus. I believe the movement to be a Valjoux 7750 - the same as in the IWC Portuguese Chronograph, as well as many other pieces.

The only complaint I would have...Read more

I can't disagree with any of the reviews posted - I ended up purchasing this watch without even trying it on, and there is no buyers remorse here.

This model of B&M is no longer available by the manufacturer, which is why Amazon is marking it down a hefty 63% (at the time of this writing).

All I can say is get one while it is in stock. To give a little bit of background, I currently own a Movado (also a beautiful watch, see my other reviews) and I was looking for something a bit more sporty and casual. I tried on a few Tags to see how they would feel, but none of them had the same character as this watch, and they all felt very bulky on my smaller wrists.

Not this one. The weighty dial is offset by a beautiful sailcloth strap which accentuates the whole piece. The movement (including chronograph) is eerily reminiscent of the Tags I tried on. For me this watch is the perfect union of form and function - it feels perfectly balanced on my wrist and...Read more