Help me decide please

I’m partial to anything green…

If you can hang on and see the Twelve in person I'd wait and make a more informed decision if I were you. As someone who does a lot of Chrono24 stalking I've found most of the watches I've looked at don't sell that quickly - obviously you might be unlucky so hopefully the B&M will still be available once you have seen both. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Hi Irene! I am a bit boring so I prefer the gray/two-tone of the two B&Ms… I like the warm tones of the bronze and darker bezel finishing. I’ve not seen the either the Riviera or Twelve in person, so couldn’t advise one over the other based on anything substantial. If you can’t try either on in person, I would focus on the differences between each and let that be how I decide.

I am personally leaning Riviera. While I like the size, hands, and 6 o’clock date window on the Twelve, I prefer the overall case design, the less polished finishing, and proportions of the Riviera (especially bezel to dial). I find the Twelve’s case design reminds me of the PRX which is not a bad thing if you like that watch - I think I just prefer more bezel. Then there is also the use of Roman numerals, which I know might be a dealbreaker for many looking for the simpler Genta-esque dial designs… but I sorta like it as a differentiator from the many other integrated bracelet watches on the market.

You probably can’t go wrong with either option - good luck! 👍

See the CW in person before making any decisions as things can be very different in the hand and on the wrist than anticipated 👍🏻

Hi!

I am an old school B&M apologist, feel their watches are not regarded well only by social media but very decent horology. I am going to source one of the Riviera models either for my wife or one of my daughters depends on who feels an attraction for it. My ad who is a small independent multi brand seller believes the brand is trending upwards after a few years in the dumps. I have a grey dial B&M Moonphase on special order but it is sitting in the American distribution centre waiting to be either accepted or cancelled by a preferred US ad. I am not looking for pre owned or ordering from Switzerland. My response is too long, I apologize I just wanted to let you know the level of my interest in B&M. Good luck on your choice!👍

CW Twelve in green looks AMAZING and I want it! Gonna have to do some selling ASAP as this wasn't in the plan. So there's my vote 👍

Ahh I feel your pain. In my opinion the CW 12 and the Riviera are different watches. Yes they have the integrated bracelet design but I find them different enough to justif owning both. (I don't own either one 🤦‍♂️). The green dials are also different.

Best advice I can offer (If I can offer any advice) is try them on. Feel them on your wrist not just imagine them on your wrist. Usually that helps with the decision making. And very important don't buy anything you can't afford and don't buy because you can afford it either. Buy it because you want it and can afford it. Nice watches pop up each and every month I'm sure you will find one that fits just right 😊

Hello and welcome to posting content, this is a great read. Honestly you can't go wrong with either. If budget is important and you want to set boundaries then go for CW. If you are looking to collect watches with more heritage and je ne sais quoi, then I would go for B&M the one you found second hand. Can't wait to see what your choice is, no pressure 😆

Green!

I like that B&M you're wearing (bronze & grey). But that's preference. When I have a difficult choice, the final decider is always how it feels on the wrist.

The trouble with that decision is CW don't have any boutiques for me to try one on... And that's why I'll never buy a CW.

Don't settle, Irene. Wait till you can have the watch you want! Although I must say that that green dial is a thing of beauty

i like the cw case design better

I assume you're choosing between the Rivera 39 (not 36) and the CW12.

I've had both on wrist (but don't own either) and have a number of thoughts.

1. The Twelve is more comfortable. Case dimensions are reasonably similar but the bracelet drops down more to hug the wrist than the Rivera. Not to say that the Rivera isn't comfortable (it is because it's thin) but the CW beats it slightly.

2. The Rivera is surpassingly better horology. 5 day power reserve is no joke.

3. The CW has a simple and well made bracelet (all brush, nice polished edges for flare) but the Baume and Mercier has a much more technically competent bracelet (oyster style with a proprietary quick release spring bars for fast bracelet changes). Both are butterfly deployments so getting a perfect fit on either is going to be a little difficult

As for the designs that's a bit of personal preference. On balance I probably prefer the case design of the CW versus the BM. If we're going to do comparisons to more famous analogs, I probably prefer the look of this

To this

So I'd probably wait to see the CW though I don't think you can go too wrong with either

I’d agree that if you’re going to see the 12 in the “flesh” I’d defer any decision until after that.

First off, welcome!

Get what makes you happy. I’m drawn to B&M myself.

Personally I am not a big fan of the "Tiffany"/Robin Egg blue. Too much of a trend. On the other hand that dark tone with the copper is a stunning combination. The aqua green would be second place.

I might be partial, but I actually went through this exact same situation. I wanted a smaller case diameter steel watch, preferably quartz. I fell in love with how the riviera 36 wore, but I couldn't justify the price. The quartz movement is relatively basic, and the auto is off the shelf. Nothing wrong with that, but for the price these pieces demand, I expected more. I ended up with a Grand Seiko SBGX063, the older double signed 9F quartz heritage in 37mm. These are a steal on the used market right now and the movements are some of the best quartz available, period. Not to mention that the level of finish can't be beat, even at multiples of the price.

For reference, my watch cost me $955, direct from Japan. It's also 13 years old and still looks fantastic!

It would probably be best to wait for CW as long as you want BM and see if you still want CW after some time and you will at least prevent a spontaneous purchase

Love the BM green

I have become more disillusioned with the anti-quartz sentiment with watch buying. I think overall quality and preference are more important. So like someone else said, I wouldn't choose based on if it is automatic or quartz - don't let they be the deciding factor. There are loads of different types of quartz too.

Thank you all for the amazing responses. It has been absolutely wholesome. I'm now even more excited to get my Riviera 💙

I wasn’t aware of the B&M, what an amazing piece 🤩

Hi Irene.

I have bought 12-15 CW watches in the last 4 years, most of which were bought before I bought a Baume & Mercier Riviera last year. The quality of CW watches for the money asked is superb, I genuinely believe they are hard to beat at their price point.

The B&M Riviera is a nice watch, good quality but overpriced in my opinion. Absolutely do not pay retail for a B&M Riviera, there are loads of offers on them. The Riviera I bought retails at £2,550, I got it for £1,600 brand new, stickers intact etc. I have tried selling this watch on account of the rubber strap that I prefer wearing the watch on, was going to cost £350. The clasp had to be subsequently ordered as the rubber strap doesn't come with the clasp. £165 for the 2 bits of rubber, £185 for the clasp.

I couldn't give my Riviera away, honestly I think I'd need to drop the price to £1,000 to get it sold. Wrong dial colour it would seem (black).

From my experience, I would say fill your boots with the CW, you won't be disappointed.