Written by: Hana Hsu

Looking for an elegant yet relatively modest luxury chronograph watch? Try the Cartier Ballon Bleu Chronograph Automatic Men’s Watch W6920003 ($10,300). Sophisticated yet rugged, it may come as a surprise to you that this watch is from Cartier. With its silver stainless steel dial, black leather band, and clean design, this timepiece is great for business or pleasure without the ostentation.

Cartier has been known for its quality watch-making (since 1888) almost as long as its jewelry-making (1847). The Ballon Bleu, one of the newest additions to the Cartier family, boasts a classic round shape, Swiss quartz movement, and automatic self-winding movements. This Ballon Bleu has those elements and more.

 Pros

Let’s start with the visual appeal: the Ballon Bleu W6920003 demonstrates casual elegance. The classic Roman numeral pattern is covered in part by the minute markings and the sub-dials, a bold visual statement that you the wearer are not confined by tradition, but can handle unconventional thinking and art. The circular date display window and sub-dials also show off a playful part of the wearer’s personality through its asymmetry. The silver stainless steel case and silver guilloche and lacquered dial lend an air of sophistication while the black crocodile skin strap exudes an down-to-earth confidence lacking in a chilly metal bracelet. Finally, the fluted steel crown with a black synthetic spinel cabochon adds a whimsical touch while the blue hour, minute, second and sub-dial hands add a splash of color.

As for functionality, the Ballon Bleu W6920003 boasts an automatic chronograph function with two sub-dials displaying 30 minutes and 60 seconds, a date display at the 9 o’clock hour, and minute markers around the outer rim, all of which make for easy telling of time. It is also water resistant up to 99 feet (30 meters), making it suitable for enduring splashes of water, rain, and short recreational swimming. Anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the dial, while the deployment buckle makes for easy but secure opening and closing with a snap. In addition a 24-month warranty ensures your peace of mind.

An alternative look with a silver stainless steel bracelet: Cartier Ballon Bleu Silver Dial Chronograph Mens Watch W6920002

Cons

• Please note, however, that this is the extra-large size men’s watch. You may want to consider large, medium, or small models if your wrist is slimmer.
• This is also a rather expensive watch, so despite its water resistance, it is probably not a good idea to expose it to water.
• Or, others may desire a watch that has a metal bracelet as the strap for a more durable look. Yet others may prefer having no chronographs so as to have a less cluttered look.

For the first case, a close cousin would be the Cartier Ballon Bleu Silver Dial Chronograph Men’s Watch W6920002, a beautiful extra-large alternative which features light blue hands, a blue spinel cabochon on the fluted steel crown, and of course, the silver stainless steel chain bracelet (pictured to the right). For the second case, a good alternative would be the ballon bleu de Cartier Watch Extra-Large Model Automatic White Gold Leather W6920055.

The Final Word

The price point may be a bit high, but for Cartier quality, you know you’re getting a well-crafted instrument; in fact, it is at the lower end of the extra-large sized Ballon Blue watches. For a clean-cut, modern, yet subtly sophisticated timepiece, the Cartier Ballon Bleu Chronograph Automatic Men’s Watch W6920003 is a good choice.