Written by: Travis Farris

The Ballon Bleu de Cartier Extra-Large Chronograph.

Cartier has been making luxury watches for over century, so anything from them is sure to be a high-quality product with functionality, aesthetic appeal, and a price tag to match. The Ballon Bleu line is relatively recent, only about 4 years old, but the Ballon Bleu de Cartier Extra-Large Chronograph w6920063 is no less impressive for it.

The design is simple, but elegant. A round case of stainless steel rests on a magnificent wrist strap. The strap is made from steel and, more impressively, 18-karat pink gold. The gold is appealingly subtle, but definitely creates a nice effect alternating with the polished steel. Adjustable buckles also assure a comfortable fit as well as a stylish one.

The clock face is a wafer of silver, adding another comfortably low-key but highly stylized flair to the watch’s elegance. An interesting combination of nostalgic and futuristic is found here; being a chronograph, the sleek and well-crafted dials for the date and for chronograph minutes and seconds are recessed in the face, indicative of the advanced technology used in the watch’s construction. And ringing the watch is a traditional roman numeral designation for hours – only nine, though, as those for 3, 6 and 9 are covered respectively by the aforementioned date, seconds, and minutes displays. Clear tick marks on the outer edge of the face still make telling the exact time easy.

Possibly the flashiest part of the watch is also the smallest: the control dial. More 18K pink gold houses a synthetic sapphire, and the blue is a noticeable contrast with the otherwise pale colors of the watch. This blue also matches the hands: sword-point-shaped blue stands clearly against the silver and creates a truly unique appearance.

A few things one should consider before springing for this timepiece, though. Priced at $14,500, this watch is absolutely an upper-class purchase, as one can expect from Cartier. Anyone without a significant paycheck should likely check a lower-end model. Being a luxury watch, were it to break, repairs would be expensive. And lastly, this is in fact the extra-large model. With a 44mm diameter and being 14.8mm thick, this particular watch may overwhelm the small of wrist along with the tight of wallet. As far as large watches go, though, it is a rather unobtrusive one; the style of the ballon bleu is very subtle, which I personally find very appealing.

With a strong name like Cartier and a material composition that earns its price, a perfect balance of simplicity, functionality, and style, the Ballon Bleu Extra-Large Chronograph is a grand addition to one’s wardrobe and tools alike.