My Engagement / Wedding Watch

I mentioned this story here, but it’s worth repeating somewhat, as this watch, more than any other, is responsible for my deep dive into horology and watch collecting. When my wife Merav and I got engaged, her mother told me they wanted to buy me a watch and asked if I even wore watches, as, coincidentally, this was the one period in my life when I was without a watch. I had stopped wearing my military G-Shock at the beginning of my relationship with Merav and had yet to replace it. The question caught me by surprise, and my spontaneous answer couldn’t have been more foretelling; I replied yes, but that I’m “problematic” with watches. “No problem at all,” Shula replied in her characteristic tone, “You’ll choose the watch, and we’ll buy it.”
You may have already gathered, but my wife comes from a rather well-off family, and so I found myself faced with the prospect – indeed, the task – of choosing a significant watch with a relatively large budget. Since a young age, I’d always had a fondness for watches, but you could say this was my road to Damascus moment, where I crossed the Rubicon, so to speak. It took me nearly a year to pick a watch, mainly because I wanted to make the most informed and educated decision I could. At the time, it was important to me that the watch be respectable yet relatively modest. I finally chose this rectangular Baume & Mercier watch.
I really love the proportions of this watch, its Arabic numerals, its hands, and overall, in terms of appearance, it’s one of my favorite watches to this day. It looks superb on the leather strap it came with, but I also indulged it with the steel bracelet the company issued a few years later, and it knows how to appreciate that too. That, and the fact that I’ve serviced it myself as part of my watchmaking studies.

Details
Brand: Baume & Mercier
Model: Hampton
Reference: MOA10027
Year: 2012
Movement: Automatic ETA 2895A2

Dimensions
Top to Bottom (incl. integrated lugs): 44.5mm
Side to side (excl. crown): 32.2mm
Between the Lugs: 26mm
Thickness (incl. domed crystal): 11mm