The Riviera has always occupied a special place in Baume & Mercier’s history. When it debuted in 1973, it became one of the first luxury sports watches crafted in stainless steel, introducing a distinctive twelve-sided bezel and a design language that has remained instantly recognisable for more than five decades. Rather than simply looking back on that legacy, the Swiss watchmaker has decided to celebrate it in the best possible way.

Enter the new Riviera 73 collection. Inspired by the original model that started it all, Baume & Mercier has introduced three new 39mm watches that bring back the cleaner proportions, understated elegance and everyday versatility that defined the first Riviera. While the design clearly pays tribute to 1973, these aren’t museum pieces—they’ve been refined for modern wrists while staying remarkably faithful to their roots.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is what sits inside. At a time when much of the luxury watch industry continues to focus on increasingly complicated mechanical movements, Baume & Mercier has confidently returned to quartz, just as the original Riviera did. It’s a decision that feels true to the collection’s heritage and reinforces the idea that practicality has always been part of the Riviera’s appeal.

Three new watches, one iconic design and a journey back to where the Riviera story first began. Let’s take a closer look at how Baume & Mercier has brought 1973 back to life.

The new Riviera 73 collection is Baume & Mercier’s way of revisiting the watch that started it all. Rather than recreating the original piece detail for detail, the maison has carefully reinterpreted its defining characteristics for today’s collector. The result is a trio of elegant 39mm stainless steel watches that stay remarkably close to the spirit of the 1973 original while benefiting from modern materials, improved finishing and everyday practicality.

Across all three references, the Riviera’s unmistakable character is still front and centre. The familiar 12-sided bezel returns without visible screws, just as it did on the original 1973 model, while the slim 39mm case and 7.7mm profile give the collection a refined, comfortable fit on the wrist. Each version offers its own personality. There’s a crisp white opaline dial on a stainless-steel bracelet, a classic blue sun-satin dial paired with steel, and a third option that swaps the bracelet for a matching blue calfskin leather strap if you’re after a slightly more relaxed, vintage-inspired look.

From the inside, Baume & Mercier has chosen the dependable ETA F06.115 quartz movement, offering hours, minutes, a date display and approximately five years of battery life. Some collectors will instinctively lean towards a mechanical calibre, but the quartz feels like home, welcoming here. After all,  the original Riviera did arrive with a quartz movement back in 1973 before automatic versions showed up, making this one of the collection’s most authentic tributes to its own history.

Taken together, the three watches capture everything that has made the Riviera endure for more than five decades. They’re slim, understated and easy to wear, with just enough vintage influence to remind you where they came from without feeling trapped in the past. Rather than chasing trends or adding unnecessary complications, Baume & Mercier has focused on refining a design that has already stood the test of time.

The Riviera 73 doesn’t just pay tribute to its origins from the front—it continues the story on the back as well. Turn the watch over, and you’ll find a large “73” engraving, with typography inspired by the 1970s and surrounded by vertical lines that echo the wooden deck of a yacht. It’s a subtle reference to the French Riviera, whose coastal lifestyle has inspired the collection since the very beginning, and one that gives each watch a little more personality without shouting about it.

Sometimes the best tribute is knowing what not to change. Baume & Mercier has resisted the temptation to overcomplicate the Riviera 73, instead focusing on the proportions, details and personality that made the original memorable. More than fifty years after the first Riviera arrived, this new trio proves that good design rarely goes out of style.

• Brand: Baume et Mercier
• Model: Riviera 73
• Reference: M0A10844
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Thickness: 7.7 mm
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Dial: Blue sun-satin dial with wave design
• Calibre: Quartz
• Water-Resistance: 5 Bar (50 metres, 165 feet)
• Price: USD $1,950

• Brand: Baume et Mercier
• Model: Riviera 73
• Reference: M0A10845
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Thickness: 7.7 mm
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Dial: White Opaline with wave design
• Calibre: Quartz
• Water-Resistance: 5 Bar (50 metres, 165 feet)
• Price: USD $1,950

• Brand: Baume et Mercier
• Model: Riviera 73
• Reference: M0A10846
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Thickness: 7.7 mm
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Dial: White Opaline with wave design
• Calibre: Quartz
• Water-Resistance: 5 Bar (50 metres, 165 feet)
• Price: USD $1,800