Written By: Joseph Winn

When you imagine to yourself a fine, classical watch, there may have two general visions in your mind. There is the stainless steel or solid gold watch, a nearly all metallic timepiece with numerals and a gentlemanly appeal. The other vision? Perhaps it would be something like the Cartier Ballon Bleu W6900156, a black leather strap watch with the gold face. If that is the look you are going for, the question becomes what makes the Ballon Bleu remarkable for you?

The Ballon Bleu model W6900156 has a fine list of luxurious parts. The buckle and case are both 18K gold. It has a blue sapphire cabochon upon an 18k gold crown, so that even when adjusting your time, the materials Cartier provides are of a high class and luxurious quality. The strap of the watch is made of black leather, with what Cartier calls an alligator pattern. The hands on the face of the watch are a matching sapphire blue to that of sapphire found on the side cabochon, and they end in sword-like tips. This is a ladies watch that is strong and sharp in its styling. The roman numerals on the face of the watch bring to mind something like the cover of a H.G. Wells book. The timepiece calls back to a turn of the 19^th century past, but with modern advantages inside.

Of course, all this gold and sapphire comes at a price. Cartier treats their Ballon Bleu as high end, but that may not be what every person is looking for in their watch. There are options, as always, of similar black and gold watches with less expensive adornments and parts. Going with the Cartier means you know the materials are all high quality, but there still may be some personal drawbacks for a buyer. The gold casing around the face is rather wide and thick for the watch, with an opening for adjusting the time. This makes the watch look heavy and in this way, it may be too thick to register as elegant for some tastes. Cartier’s W900156 is certainly less delicate than some watches that fall on the side of being an accessory and a piece of jewelry.

PROS

• 18k Gold parts
• Quartz Movement
• Classical look
• Black Leather matches gold well
• A touch of sapphire in the watch hands and cabochon
• Sapphire glass

CONS

• High end watch comes at high end price
• Thickness of gold in frame design may turn some off

In the end, I find the Cartier Ballon Bleu W6900156 to be a price and style choice. The most distinguishing feature may be the combined look of roman numerals touched by sapphire hands. I am not sure that sets it apart from others as much as the luxury quality parts do, but then it becomes a debate of how luxurious of a watch you want.