The New Ballon Blanc de Cartier

The new Ballon Blanc de Cartier is a work of creative genius that has once again effortlessly placed Cartier at the pinnacle of horology this year. The watch’s delicate curves perfectly embody and accentuate the lifestyle of today’s discerning woman.

Made as a dressy watch, the Ballon Blanc de Cartier comes in two sizes – a petite version with a case diameter of 24mm, and a mid-sized model with a case diameter of 30mm. Both sizes are available in 18kt rose gold, and 18kt rhodium finished white gold. The case isn’t thick at all with a case height of 8.6mm.

The defining aspect of this timepiece comes in the bracelet, which has 5 rows of perfectly polished, connected links; each a rounded disc made to fit perfectly around the contours of the feminine wrist. The bezel features 2 rows of round brilliant, full cut diamonds. Each gemstone is chosen individually and is guaranteed to meet Cartier’s strict standards. At the 4 position is a larger solitary diamond, also full cut and with IF (Internally Flawless) – VVS₁ (Very Very Slightly Included) clarity and is colorless by definition (D-F).

The dial is given a flinqué design and lacquered heavily with white mother of pearl. As with so many Cartier models, the hour markers are represented by Roman numerals, while the minute track features the railroad design, which Cartier has made famous. The minute and hour hands are sword shaped and crafted from blued stainless steel, which contrasts excellently against the flinqué mother of pearl dial. Protecting the dial is a sapphire crystal, which has become an industry standard due to its scratch resistant properties. The new Ballon Blanc de Cartier is water resistant to 30 meters.

Powering this watch is a quartz mechanism, made in Switzerland. As there is no noticeable crown, the Ballon Blanc de Cartier probably adjusts its time using a button on the case back, which when pressed runs the time forward. A watch quite similar to this from Cartier is the Panthere Ruban, so this is not an entirely new concept from Cartier. This timepiece is backed by a 2 year international warranty and is priced at £27,400.