Baume Mercier Heats Up The Watchmaking World
The event was highlighted by the presence of Gwyneth Paltrow and various international celebrities. To celebrate the start of a new chapter in its history, the Swiss Maison dHorlogerie held a spectacular seaside garden party
Switzerland, January 17th, 2011
Snow-covered mountains, skiers on the slopes, must-have accessories: hat, mittens Except for the happy few who attended the fabulous event organized in Geneva by the Swiss Maison dHorlogerie Baume & Mercier on the occasion of the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie).
The ocean in Switzerland
To mark the start of a new chapter in its 180-year history, Baume & Mercier invited 950 guests to a garden party on the beach to echo its new Brand universe: seaside living in the Hamptons.
75 tons of sand, 800 square meters of grass, and 7,000 hours of work were needed to create this magical atmosphere between earth and sea.
Imagine monumental sand sculptures, the sound of waves, guests enjoying themselves on the wooden deck and then on the dance floor.
The evening unfolded with moments of pure emotion and the simple joy of celebration.
Sea, sun and stars
Attending the event were
Baume & Merciers new ambassador American actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and began appearing in films in 1991, gaining early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma. She garnered worldwide recognition through her performance in Shakespeare in Love (1998), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, for Outstanding Lead Actress and as a member of the Outstanding Cast. She is now starting a career as a singer.
The motto of Baume & Mercier, Life is about moments, very much reflects my personal philosophy of life. Thats why I said yes/responded positively when the Brand proposed that I represent it, she explains.
Vincent Perez, born in Lausanne, is of Spanish and German descent. Before settling on acting, he considered becoming a sculptor, painter or photographer. He gained a worldwide following when he co-starred with Gerard Depardieu in Cyrano De Bergerac (1990) and went on to starring roles in the 1993 Oscar winner Indochine, and Patrice Chereau's 1994 Cannes prize-winning La Reine Margot. In 1992 he was awarded the prestigious Prix Jean Gabin and in the same year made his directing debut with the short film L'Exchange. He has been nominated twice for a Cesar Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Le Bossu (1997) and Ceux Qui M'aiment Prendront le Train (1998). I am very busy, he told journalists, between acting and an upcoming exhibition of my photographs. But Baume & Mercier is one of the best brands in the world, and it is worth the time spent here tonight.
Mathilda May first started her career as a dancer, winning the Premier prix du Conservatoire national suprieur de musique et de danse de Paris at the age of sixteen. In 1989, she was honoured with the Romy Schneider Award. As an actress she has played in many European movies and is known in the US for her role as Isabelle in The Jackal with Richard Gere and Bruce Willis. I am proud to be here tonight. I love my Linea. It looks like me, simple, elegant, beautiful. I dont wear lots of jewelry. I am not a bling bling person. This watch is just so me
Thomas Kretschmann trained to become an Olympic swimmer. At the age of 19 he left East Germany and began a month-long trek to West Germany to escape the East German state. As a German actor he is best known for playing Leutnant Hans Von Witzland in the 1993 film Stalingrad, Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist, Hermann Fegelein in Der Untergang, and Captain Englehorn in the 2005 remake of King Kong. At the 2006 Festival de Cine de Sitges, Kretschmann shared the Best Actor award for his performance in this film with his co-star Thomas Huber. Kretschmann also shared Best Actor with Huber at the 2007 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Arantxa Sanchez is a Spanish former professional tennis player. She won four Grand Slam singles titles, six Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine put her in 27th place in its list of 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS era and in 2007, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was only the third Spanish player (and the first Spanish woman) to be inducted. Filled with energy and enthusiasm by the relaxed atmosphere of the event, she started a badminton game against Alain Zimmermann, later stating that the Baume & Mercier CEO was quite a good player !
Emmanuelle Chriqui is a Canadian actress who has appeared on both television and in cinema. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan. In May 2010, she topped the Asken.com Most Desirable Women of 2010 list: Ive always been a fan of Baume & Mercier, she states, my father is a big watch person and I knew that Baume & Mercier is the top of the top.
Christina Surer is a Swiss race car driver. She has been racing for more than a decade, having spent several years in go-karts before participating in the Ford Superseries (2002), Alfa 147 Cup (2002) and the Ford Fiesta Cup (2003). She has participated in two 24 Hours Nrburgring races (2004, 2005). Aside from racing and modelling, she hosts television programs.
Other celebrities in attendance included Russian actress Marina Aleksandrova, German actress Bettina Zimmermann, Italian rising stars Laura Chiatti and Valeria Bilello, Swiss Top Model Xenia Tchoumitcheva, Spanish TV anchor and writer Nuria Roca, Swiss