Founded in 1830, Baume and Mercier are a well-established watchmaker that have created an impressive back catalog that includes some highly-respected models. Often producing watches for other brands such as Cartier, the watch that we have here is a manual-wind dress watch that was produced for Tiffany & Co., the iconic American jeweller and watch retailer. Powered by a manual-wind movement and coming in at 31mm in diameter, this timepiece is a gold-plated mid-century dress watch, with a story to tell. Framing its dial is a unique coin-edge bezel, which begins to point at what this watch truly is, a special order watch likely made at the request of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family. Boasting a champagne dial, this example’s display is branded Tiffany & Co. at 12 o’clock, just atop an outline of Saudi Arabia, with its three major cities, Riyadh; Jeddah; and Mecca. Created as a special order by Tiffany & Co. we can date the watch to around the mid-1940s on the basis of the map used on the dial, with some modern-day countries included within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s borders, such as Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, and the UAE.

Watch is in overall excellent condition. The yellow gold plated case shows light scratches, with a well-defined coin-edge bezel that has slight softening around the edges. The steel case back features sharp engravings, and the cabochon-topped winder is in excellent condition. The Tiffany & Co. signed dial has some light marks but retains crisp text and detailing. The black hands are very clean. It is fitted with a brown leather strap and a gold-plated buckle.

A tremendously rare timepiece that is both a collaboration between two watchmakers and also a special order piece created on behalf of a country's royal family, this timepiece is a rare and wonderful example of watchmaking's collaborative spirit.