Have you guys heard about Pierre Soulages? If you haven’t, this French artist was born in 1919 which makes him 102 years old today. What’s cool about his works is the love for our favorite colorway – black. Therefore, Baume & Mercier is honoring him with an exclusive Hampton and will build only 102 examples to match his age.
The watchmaker calls this stealthy yet classy version of the Hampton the Hommage à Pierre Soulages. Even the name carries the same essence of simplicity to match the tone that dominates his canvases. As you can see, almost every aspect of this timepiece echoes his artistic ethos.
If this limited-edition Hampton came out earlier, it would have been a wonderful addition to a recent all-black watches buyer guide of ours. We have a 31 mm x 48.11 mm x 9.8 mm rectangular stainless-steel case in black DLC. The same goes for the crown, caseback, screws, and rotor that you can view via the sapphire window.
The matte texture comes from sandblasting the surfaces to mute reflections. To make this Hampton a true tribute to the man, Baume & Mercier gives it a striking dial based on his paintings. The inspiration comes from Soulages’ Outrenoir series as it mimics the bold brush strokes.
There are no indices to speak of with only hints of gold from the branding and sword hands to contrast the dark void. A black alligator strap with a pin buckle closure system adorns the lugs. The Hommage à Pierre Soulages Hampton is powered by a Swiss ETA 2892-A2 self-winding caliber with a 42-hour power reserve.
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Images courtesy of Baume & Mercier
