Written by: Garrett Miller

Cartier, a brand that has long been synonymous with luxury and refinement, is continuing their tradition of producing classically elegant watches. The Cartier Baignoire W8000003 maintains this tradition with a simple, clean design and elegant craftsmanship. This ladies’ luxury timepiece  features an exquisite elongated oval dial with sharply curving sides that play well with the oval inner ring around which the hands rotate. The face is adorned with Roman numeral hour markers that make a bold visual impact in contrast to the silver dial. The dial is not cluttered with chronograph sub-dials like so many other watches on the market these days, so its look can definitely be called “classic.” Its simple, dark black leather strap with crocodile pattern makes the dial visually pop right off of your wrist.

Cartier Baignoire W8000003

About This Watch:

• Battery operated quartz movement
• Polished solid 18 kt white gold case
• Black leather strap with crocodile pattern
• Silver dial with Roman numeral hour markers
• Sword shaped blue hands

Details/Specifications:

• Scratch resistant sapphire crystal
• Water resistant to a depth of 30 m (100 ft) – suitable for light splashing, shallow snorkeling, swimming. NOT suitable for diving.
• Functions include hours and minutes
• 22.5 mm x 30 mm square case
• 7.3 mm case thickness
• 6” adjustable strap
• Fixed bezel
• Tang buckle

 Availability: This watch retails from Cartier at $10,400. It is also available from the following retail websites:

• Prestigetime.com, listed at $9256
• Authenticwatches.com, listed at $8850
• Phillipeswatches.com, listed at $8850
• Luxurybazaar.com, listed at $8320

Drawbacks: This is not a sports or “performance” watch. Its functions are limited to hours and minutes, so this is not a watch you will want to use for pacing yourself on the race track or mountain bike (much less a watch you would want to wear during these activities). Furthermore, the price tag of the Baignoire W8000003 seems astronomical for what you get in terms of flashiness and functionality. However, this also ensures that you will not likely be seeing this watch on everyone else’s wrist, making it a statement piece that will set you apart from the crowd.

The Bottom Line

The Cartier Baignoire W8000003 is a simple, elegant, and expensive watch. If you love the look and have the money to spend, more power to you.