Baume & Mercier | Pierre Soulages

Baume & Mercier honours one of the great masters of painting by drawing inspiration from his entire body of work to create a unique timepiece, the Hampton “Hommage à Pierre Soulages”.

In January 1979, the major abstract artist Pierre Soulages inaugurated a series of works at his Parisian workshop which he called Noir-Lumière. In 1989, the series became known as Outrenoir.  The surface of each painting is coated with black paint in various states, textured into low relief with tools and brushes.

Liberally taking inspiration from an Outrenoir painting by Pierre Soulages to turn it into a watch creation was a technical challenge. One work in particular guided the experiment: Peinture 390 x 130 cm 17 mars 2019. This work – which the Soulages couple donated to Musée Soulages in 2020 – celebrates the painter’s 100th birthday, a testimony to his vitality and inspiration. The work guides the light through a play of overlapped panels of slanted streaks which sweep from one side of the composition to the other. The action painting technique that Soulages developed cuts into the black acrylic material to produce a variety of matt-and-shine effects.

Through meticulous topography, advanced research and 3D wax printing, the ideal procedure was finally found: one that would liberate the volumes, reveal the details and bring out the beauty of this work in a continual interaction between shade and light. For the dial, laser-machined brass was found to suitably meet this challenge. Candia stone is used to create a diffuse matt effect, and an electroplating process is then applied to colour-coat it with a 0.2-micron layer by electrolysis. One last 10 micron-thick coat of sheer, semi-matt protective lacquer and the piece is finished: black yet wreathed in light, filled with masterful contrasts.