Baume & Mercier pays tribute to one of the greatest living artists with a captivating new take on its Hampton
Art and watchmaking have long been natural partners – the latter could even be considered an art in itself. With its latest timepiece, Baume & Mercier is paying tribute to its own deep connection to both worlds with a tribute to one of the greatest living abstract painters, Pierre Soulages, encapsulated in a creative take on its Hampton watch.
Often referred to as the ‘painter of black’, Soulages has dedicated his life to exploring the possibilities of the shade. To express his practice, he conceived the term ‘Outrenoir’ – it has no direct translation into English, but the closest meaning is ‘beyond black’. It is brought to life in his breathtaking works that play with texture and light, revealing a different side as the viewer observes each piece from different perspectives. The biggest collection of his work is now housed in the Musée Soulages in his native Rodez, France.
Baume & Mercier’s team were tasked with the challenge of recreating this depth and emotion and distilling it into miniature form on the dial of the Hampton Hommage a Pierre Soulages. In particular, it is inspired by one piece, Peinture 390 x 130 cm 17 mars 2019, created to celebrate the painter’s 100th birthday, which sees overlapped slanted streaks come together in an intriguing display.
To mirror this effect, Baume & Mercier made use of cutting-edge 3D printing technology, after a long trial-and-error process to find the optimal technique. First, the brass is machined with a laser, and then candia stone is used to create a matte effect. This is followed by an electroplating process to coat it with an incredibly thin layer of colour, before the application of a last protective coat of sheer, semi-matte lacquer.
Beyond the intricately textured dial, there are a range of other special finishing touches. At the painter’s request, the elegant hands, coated with black PVD, feature a touch of gold at the end, to emphasise the passage of time. Meanwhile, the self-winding movement features a black oscillating weight, viewable through the sapphire-crystal case back.
The watch is limited to 102 pieces to mark the artist’s age. It comes presented in a special case that nods to the contemporary architecture of Musée Soulages, including the cladding of the building, which is made from Corten steel, lending it a rust-like appearance that speaks to the patina that builds over the course of time.
