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Baume & Mercier Teams Up with Indian Motorcycle


Since it was initiated in 2015, Baume & Mercier’s partnership with the Carroll Shelby Company has produced several notable timepieces, the most recent being a limited-edition chronograph from the brand’s Clifton collection, co-designed by automobile design guru Peter Brock. Now, aficionados of classic motorcycles can also rev their motors in anticipation of some special watches from the Swiss brand, which just this week announced a new exclusive partnership with Indian Motorcycle, known as “America’s First Motorcycle Company.”

Alain Zimmermann and Grant Bester
Baume & Mercier CEO Alain Zimmermann (left) and Indian Motorcycle EMEA Vice President Grant Bester

Baume & Mercier announced the partnership at a venue well known to motorcycle history buffs — Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, where 50 years ago motorcycle trailblazer Burt Munro set the world land-speed record on his Indian Scout Streamliner, a feat dramatized in the 2005 film The World’s Fastest Indian. To celebrate the anniversary, Munro’s great-nephew Lee Munro re-created the record-setting ride at Bonneville on a modern Indian scout with a modified power train.

According to Baume & Mercier, the collaboration between the two historic brands, both boasting more than a century of history, will “capture the iconic spirit and translate it into a series of limited edition watches paying tribute to Indian Motorcycle’s iconic history.” The company also announced that the watches will be revealed later in 2017, and “will please watch enthusiasts and moto aficionados seeking uniqueness.”

Indian Motorcycle - Lee Munro -50th Anniversary
The modern Indian Scout ridden by Lee Munro for his 50th Anniversary ride at the Bonneville Salt Flats

“We are very proud and honored to partner with Indian Motorcycle,” said Alain Zimmermann, CEO of Baume & Mercier. “Our agreement is cherished by our common pursuit of perfection, quality and craftsmanship, translated all in iconic design and contemporary esthetic. Our brands have both strong-shared values and exude exceptional spirit.”

Grant Bester, Vice President of Indian Motorcycle EMEA, added, “The core values that both Baume & Mercier and Indian Motorcycle share are intrinsically aligned, thanks to the dedication that delivers iconic products combining craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technologies. We are delighted to reach this agreement with one of the world’s greatest watchmakers and believe this cooperation will bring great opportunities to both brands with wider exposure in new areas.”

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  1. Randy Rogers

    Baume & Mercier, long suffering an identity or purpose, post-Riviera and arguably Capeland, now seems to be looking to create some faux heritage of Sport tie-in, first with “celebrating” Carroll Shelby and Automotive, now Motorcycles with a re-born Indian Brand and Surfing, with a Surf Contest at Retail. Interesting all, but passed the commercial desire of the Brand trying to move into the crowded Sport arena, without a real heritage, as is the case with Rolex, TAG-Heuer, Omega, Breitling, possibly sister-brands Panarai and IWC, as well as Oris, Alpina, Tissot, Certina even Seiko and Citizens, there is no real commercial synergy, for a brand that was basically cross-over Dress, Feminine and historically, quasi-aspirational. The “Who, What, Why and How” appear to be elusive in creating a brand identification the consumer can grasp and hold onto, when in reality, their Hallmark Timepiece Riviera had the name, cache and demand, all that needs be done is for the Brand to understand their real heritage and expand on it with an evolutionary new generation of Riviera to start.

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