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Baume et Mercier Brings the Riviera Back to 1973 With Three New Watches

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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.

Baume et Mercier Riviera 73 Series | Image: Supplied / Baume et Mercier

The Riviera 73

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.

Back to ’73

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.

Baume et Mercier Riviera 73 Ref. M0A10844
Baume et Mercier Riviera 73 Ref. M0A10844 | Image: Baume et Mercier
  • 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
Baume et Mercier Riviera 73 Ref. M0A10845
Baume et Mercier Riviera 73 Ref. M0A10845 | Image: Baume et Mercier
  • 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
Baume et Mercier Riviera 73 Ref. M0A10846
Baume et Mercier Riviera 73 Ref. M0A10846 | Image: Baume et Mercier
  • 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

Watches & WondersBaume & Mercier
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Food & Drinks

We Tried Dubai’s Fix Desert Chocolatier — And Yes, It Lives Up to the Hype!

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Dubai is famous for its glittering skyline, glamorous malls, and extravagant luxury, but recently, the city’s biggest trend is coming from something much sweeter. Fix Desert Chocolatier, founded by Sarah Hamouda, has taken TikTok by storm, with videos of its rich, stretchy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate appearing on feeds everywhere. The clips make the bars look incredibly tempting, and once you see them, the desire for them hits fast. Thankfully, we managed to get our hands on the viral treat ourselves, giving us the opportunity to finally see if the Dubai-famous chocolate is just social media hype or truly worth the obsession.

Dubai Chocolate | Image: Instagram – @Fix Desert Chocolatier

What is Dubai Chocolate?

Dubai Chocolate has gained popularity on social media because of its striking appearance, which is as impressive as it is excessive in the best way. The chunky bar feels almost like a small brick in your hand, and when you break it open, you’re hit with that bright green centre everyone keeps talking about. Inside, layers of crunchy kataifi are combined with a rich pistachio and tahini paste, giving it a nutty sweetness and a satisfying crunch that you don’t usually find in a standard chocolate bar. Some versions lean heavier on pistachio, while others focus more on tahini, but all follow the same idea of wrapping Middle Eastern flavors within a generous chocolate shell.

The exterior maintains the luxurious feel with a thick layer of milk chocolate, often dusted in shimmering gold or green, enhancing its indulgent appearance. Although shaped like a familiar candy bar, its overall experience is entirely unique — as if traditional ingredients were intensified in richness and transformed into an unforgettable dessert.

Who Invented Dubai Chocolate?

Dubai Chocolate didn’t come from a large factory or an established brand — it started in Sarah Hamouda’s kitchen, a Dubai mother who chose to turn her love for desserts into something more while on maternity leave during COVID. What began as a small side project slowly grew into Fix Dessert Chocolatier, her homegrown business founded on creativity, late-night experimentation, and a genuine passion for flavour.

Balancing motherhood and building her own venture, Hamouda created a chocolate bar unlike any other on the market. It featured richness, crunch, and a striking visual appeal — and before long, this simple idea became one of the most viral desserts worldwide. Her creation didn’t just top the charts; it sparked a global food trend, showing that one innovative idea (and plenty of hard work) can ignite an international obsession.

Dubai Chocolate | Image: Instagram – @Fix Desert Chocolatier

So…How Does Dubai Chocolate Taste?

Biting into Dubai Chocolate feels like hitting the jackpot for flavour and texture at the same time. The first thing you notice is the crunch — that airy, crispy kataifi instantly breaks through the chocolate shell and offers a light, almost buttery crackle. Then the filling kicks in. The pistachio-and-tahini blend brings a sweet, nutty richness with a subtle earthiness, creating a flavour that’s much deeper and more layered than a typical chocolate bar.

The milk chocolate coating ties everything together, providing that smooth, familiar sweetness while the green centre commands attention with its bold, Middle Eastern personality. It’s indulgent without feeling heavy, sweet without being too sickly, and each bite gives you a mix of crisp, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth moments. No wonder TikTok lost its mind — it tastes like someone transformed pistachio dessert culture into a luxurious chocolate bar.

Why Dubai’s Famous Chocolate Bar Is Everywhere Right Now

People love desserts. Not just eating them, but the whole idea of discovering something new to obsess over — a flavour you haven’t tried before or a texture that surprises you. That’s really why this Dubai chocolate trend took off. It taps into that craving for something different, something you can’t just find anywhere. The blend of pistachio, kataifi, and chocolate feels familiar, yet completely unexpected at the same time, so people naturally wanted to find out what all the fuss was about.

For us, it didn’t even start with the original. We just kept noticing coffee shops rolling out their own versions. Every café we walked into had its take on “Dubai Chocolate,” each one looking slightly different, and that’s when we realized that this wasn’t just another passing dessert — it was turning into a full-on movement. At that point, we still hadn’t tried the real one; we’d only tried the copies inspired by it.

Then, while travelling to Dubai, everything clicked. We spotted the actual bar from Fix Dessert Chocolatier at the airport and picked it up to share with the family. One bite was enough to show why everyone else was trying to recreate it. It had that perfect balance of crunch and creaminess, the pistachio flavour was just right, and it tasted like something that truly deserved the hype. Finding the original after seeing so many imitations made the whole moment feel even better.

Dubai Chocolate | Image: Instagram – @Fix Desert Chocolatier

Where Can You Buy Dubai Chocolate?

If you want the authentic Dubai Chocolate — the one that sparked all the hype — you need to get it directly from Fix Dessert Chocolatier. Sarah Hamouda’s original bars are available through the brand’s official website and tend to sell out quickly because of high demand. If you’re travelling through Dubai, you can also find them at select locations, including the airport, where we finally managed to get our hands on one.

Outside the UAE, availability can be unpredictable, but many coffee shops now create their own versions inspired by the original. They’re fun to try, but for an authentic experience, your best options are ordering from Fix Dessert Chocolatier or picking one up while in Dubai.

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