BAUME & MERCIER

Ths famous Swiss marque first came on the scene in 1830 when Louis Joseph Baume opened his watchmaking atelier in Les Bois, in the Swiss canton of Bern. His two sons, Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, would work with him and, four years later, re-registered the company under their names as Baume Frères. The firm quickly gained a reputation for quality workmanship and excellent accuracy and, in 1840, the brothers opened an outlet in London’s horology epicentre, Northampton Square in Clerkenwell – the destination of choice young men equipping and provisioning themselves with all that they should require before voyaging across the world in service of trade and empire. Baume watches were very much in demand as campaign and maritime watches – their reliable precision timekeeping complementing the race to set records in transatlantic, eastern and oriental voyages on tea clippers and, later steamships and ocean liners.

MASON’S: LUXURY RESORTWEAR THE ITALIAN WAY

Mason’s is a clothing store located in the heart of the Italian seaside resort town of Forte dei Marmi. The store is owned and operated by the Mason family, who have been in the fashion business for over 50 years. Mason’s Forte dei Marmi carries its own range of casual and tailored pieces both online and in-store. The brand’s stores, in Italy and France also offer a wide selection of men’s and women’s clothing, accessories, and home goods, including from brands such as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, and Prada.