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LUXURY WATCH
BAUME & MERCIER Hampton “Hommage to Pierre Soulages”
T
he specific painting, “Peinture 390 X 130 cm 17 mars 2019,” celebrates Pierre’s 100th birthday and is the piece that Baume & Mercier really pulled from. Technical excellence is the cornerstone of Hampton “Hommage to Pierre Soulages” in the fascinating, unique connection between art and watchmaking. The transformation of a large-scale picture into a watch dial is remarkable. It’s a fantastic change to shrink meters down to millimeters. In line with the spirit of Pierre Soulages’ work, this one-of-a-kind masterpiece presents a harmonic play on opposing blacks through gentle subtleties of mattes, semi-
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mattes, shine, and diffuse layers. Often referred to as the “painter of black”, Soulages has dedicated his life to exploring the possibilities of the shade. The watch features a stainless steel case with DLC coating and a replaceable black nubuck alligator strap with a pin buckle. Seen through the exhibition window, an ETA 2892-A2 automatic has been customized with black screws, a black rotor with Côtes de Genève and perlage on the plates. It has a 42-hour power reserve. Baume & Mercier will produce the watch on demand in an edition limited to 102 pieces, reflecting Soulages age.
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Hampton “Hommage to Pierre Soulages” is a timepiece with a dial that is inspired by a painting series called “Outrenoir,” which Pierre Soulages began in 1989 and it has since become very influential in the abstract art world.