Gerald Charles Unveils Its Most Complex Timepiece, The Masterlink Perpetual Calendar

Gerald Charles, the independent Swiss watchmaking Maison founded by the great Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, unveils its most complicated watch since its reestablishment less than a decade ago. The Masterlink Perpetual Calendar, developed entirely in-house, marks a new chapter for the young and ambitious Maison as it continues to expand its repertoire of poetic complications.

In keeping with Gerald Charles’s “No Compromise” watchmaking philosophy, established by Mr. Genta more than a quarter of a century ago, the Masterlink Perpetual Calendar introduces an in-house, asymmetrical, automatic perpetual calendar calibre with a three-counter display.

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News Richemont Sells Baume & Mercier to the Damiani Group

The Swiss brand, with nearly 200 years of heritage, begins a new chapter under the Italian group

ByWaqt

23.01.2026

3 minutes read

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Richemont and the Damiani Group, the prestigious family-run Italian luxury house, have signed an agreement for the Damiani Group to acquire full ownership of specialist watchmaker Baume & Mercier. The brand, which celebrated its 195th anniversary last year, will transfer from Richemont in a private transaction. Richemont originally acquired the entry-level watchmaker in 1988.

With this acquisition, the Damiani Group will further expand its hard luxury portfolio, which already includes the jewellery maisons Damiani, Salvini, Bliss, and Calderoni, as well as Venini, Italy’s renowned artistic glassmaker based in Murano. The Group also operates the luxury multi-brand watch and jewellery distributor Rocca, and now adds a specialist watchmaker with a legacy spanning nearly 200 years.

Richemont, the Swiss luxury giant, currently owns a portfolio of around 26 brands and businesses across watches, jewellery, fashion, accessories, and related sectors. Its watchmaking powerhouses include A. Lange & Söhne, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger‑LeCoultre, IWC Schaffhausen, and Roger Dubuis, while its jewellery portfolio features iconic names such as Cartier.

Both Richemont and the Damiani Group believe that Baume & Mercier’s long-term potential will be best realized within the Damiani Group. The Maison benefits from a strong presence in Italy, a predominantly multi-brand wholesale distribution model, and an accessible position in the luxury watch segment.

As part of its strategy, the Damiani Group plans to enhance the Maison’s visibility and reach by leveraging its extensive multi-brand distribution network and gradually opening select mono-brand boutiques in strategic locations. To ensure a smooth transition, Richemont will continue to provide operational support for Baume & Mercier for an interim period of at least 12 months following the closing.

The transaction is expected to close in summer 2026, subject to certain conditions, and the financial terms have not been disclosed.

Notably, the announcement does not address the future of Baume & Mercier’s Baumatic movements, the brand’s acclaimed automatic calibre developed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier and Richemont’s Research & Development team.

For more information you can visit Richemont official website.

Richemont

ريتشمونت

2026

Damiani

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