Baume & Mercier – Clifton Club Shelby® Cobra Bucherer Blue Editions Replica Buying Guide

Clifton Club Shelby® Cobra Bucherer Blue Editions

Bucherer launched yesterday the 16th model in its Bucherer Blue Editions line: the Baume & Mercier Clifton Club Shelby® Cobra Bucherer Blue Editions. The timepiece, a tribute to the legendary Shelby Cobra Daytona coupé racing car, is limited to 100 watches and will be on sale exclusively at all Bucherer boutiques.

A long history ties Baume & Mercier and Bucherer, both companies with strong traditions. Since the 1920s, they have cultivated an excellent relationship and share common values, such as a love of watches, watchmaking and stylish design. The latest addition to the Bucherer Blue Editions fills the two companies with pride. “The result of a relationship based on so much mutual affinity is an elegant sport watch that reflects the universe of both brands and will certainly appeal to customers who like an exclusive watch with a historical background”, explains Alain Zimmermann, CEO of Baume & Mercier. The partnership between Baume & Mercier and sports car manufacturer Shelby has inspired a watch designed to serve as a reminder of the legendary American Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé. “Mechanical watches and vintage sports cars fascinate people with their combination of aesthetic design, sophisticated technology and tradition. They are an expression of an individual lifestyle”, says Patrick Graf, Director of Watches with Bucherer.

Before this year, Baume et Mercier introduced its Clifton Club “hero” set of sport watches at SIHH using its CEO, Alain Zimmerman, saying that they’re focusing on younger partners. If you haven’t noticed the motto “Gentle Sportsmen,” the demographic with this watch is the bicycle polo playing, big wave catching, vintage car driving, alternative sports athlete who wears well tailored, slim-fitting suits to casual gatherings and club meetings. I use a suit pretty frequently, and never once did I feel like it was great attire to ride a bicycle, push a skateboard, or catch a wave. Although, when it comes to driving a car with its top down and feeling like James Bond, well, I would need to provide them a gentlemanly nod.In my head, Baume et Mercier did not have a customer demographic that was youthful, daring, or sporty, and certainly not a part of the counter culture that is cafe racers and classic customs. I thought of them as a watch companion for anniversary gifts, a thank you gift you purchase for your own parents following your initial “real” paycheck, a fashion watch to get a girlfriend or partner, possibly a graduation present. The price point for a Baume et Mercier is about a few thousand; only about the expense of a vintage fixer upper. So, why buy a watch when you might be wrenching on a Harley, Norton, or even Ducati?The promoting relationship between “Gentle Sportsmen” and classic classic cars, like the Shelby Cobra, makes sense, but to be related to cafe racers, super hooligans, grassroots racers, dirt drifting maniacs, and leather clad club members was a concept I had to receive my head around. Sure, if they had been attempting to break in the MotoGP crowd with a more affordable timepiece, it’d be a no brainer, but a Wheels and Waves motorcycling event filled with kickstarts, bandanas, and antiques, sounded a bit odd.

Clifton Club Shelby® Cobra Bucherer Blue Editions

Clifton Club Shelby® Cobra Bucherer Blue Editions © Bucherer

Baume & Mercier’s designers were particularly impressed by the aesthetics and unmatched power of the racing car built during the 1960s. The spokes in the wheels were the inspiration for the rotor inside the movement. Made of titanium, it leans on the car’s lightweight aluminium construction. Design elements, such as the racing car’s typical stripes and Cobra logo, are cleverly integrated into the subdials and second hand. The main dial in blue harmonizes perfectly with the black, carbon-look calfskin strap. It has a blue seam and a blue lining, giving the watch additional character.

The special edition is limited to 100 pieces and watch lovers who secure one of the watches will belong to an exclusive circle. The Baume & Mercier Clifton Club Shelby® Cobra Bucherer Blue Editions will be on sale only at all Bucherer boutiques.