by Elizabeth Lowry

Anyone for a unisex watch? The Pasha WJ 11913G was originally intended for men—it is chunkier than the related Miss Pasha line of timepieces—but it is graceful and versatile enough to be unisex. Now that it is fashionable for women to wear larger watches than they used to, it’s probably about time they did. No more eyestrain from squinting at a teeny tiny dial to check the time. At any rate, this Pasha watch would look great on either a male or female wrist. The Cartier website declares that this watch is a “bestseller for people with a strong personality.” And I can see what they mean. For Cartier, who specializes in very sophisticated and somewhat understated classic pieces, this is an unusually bold watch—with its brightly polished pink gold bezel and diamonds winking strategically as they catch the light on the dial.

The Pasha WJ 1191G has a pink gold casing which is 32 mm in diameter. The pink gold bezel forms a perfect circle to frame the dial. The dial itself has an opaline surface and the hours are marked in Arabic numerals. However, only the numbers 3, 6, 9, and 12 are marked while eight tiny diamonds serve as hour indicators for the numbers between them. The dial’s diamond-shaped blue steel hands are protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

Pros: Two different types of strap are offered with this watch. One is a dark brown alligator and the other is fabric of a similar hue. The straps are durable and easy to replace and can be worn for different occasions—the fabric for more casual everyday wear and the alligator for dressier occasions. The watch is (of course) beautifully crafted exhibited careful, perfectly symmetrical workmanship. The dial is eye-catching, but not too much so. The diamond hour markers simply mean that the dial does not look too cluttered. This watch also operates by quartz movement. That is, it will need a battery, but the quartz is so energy efficient that the battery hardly ever needs to be replaced. And did I mention that this Pasha is water-resistant to 100 feet?

For the most part, consumers seem to be pleased with this buy believing the $17,200 price tag to be worthwhile. However, there are caveats when it comes to buying this item from an unauthorized dealer as repairing Cartier watches is expensive and it is crucial to get a comprehensive warranty.