By: Kevin Hatton

The Cartier Love WE800831 features a silver dial and 18kt gold case with a black satin strap with a tang style clasp. The fixed bezel contains 6 diamonds and holds a sapphire scratch resistant crystal protecting the dial. The Swiss made watch has an analog dial using quartz movement. The hour markers are in roman numerals and the hands are blue steel. This watch is water resistant to 30 meters or 100 feet, though given the dressy nature of the watch the rating is not a selling point.

This is a dainty women’s watch coming in at the very manageable 23.5 mm with the thin strap appropriately augmenting the size of the case. While the Cartier Love watch is the appropriate size the look is somewhat contradictory. The broad lines of the case take away from the potential elegance. Despite the literal size being right, the case looks fat. The dial is very small and to compensate the roman numeral hour markers are scrunched together and the blue steel hands are very thin. They are large enough to read fine but with so little spacing between them and the thin hands the whole contraption just seems cramped especially when compared to the wide 18k gold bezel. The bezel is as broad as it is so as to fit the six diamonds which certainly add to the value of this piece which retails around $8,000 but almost hurt the watch’s appearance. The diamonds, while pretty, add to the watch a bit of undesirable gaudiness. Ultimately, the watch looks like a very expensive porthole. The diamonds are the screws, the oversized bezel is the seal, and the tiny window is the tiny window. The blue steel hand and large roman numerals add even further a naval hint.

This is not an everyday watch, it is a dress watch. As such, its unique design is not likely meant to be especially versatile. Given the right occasion, perhaps that Caribbean cruise you were planning all last summer, this may be the perfect watch to wear for those formal nights in the dining room. Or, it may be an exquisite accoutrement for that new gown you’ve just been dying to wear to that Navy ball. Sorry, the design of this watch just evokes the sea which may or may not be a good thing. If you are considering purchasing this watch, just remember that craftsmanship aside you’re paying for the 18k gold and the 6 diamonds more than anything else. The quartz movement, the functionality, the water resistance are not the primary selling points. This timepiece is jewelry first.