The new and improved Cartier Ballon Bleu deserves to blow up

Fergus Nash

Although it hasn’t even reached its 15th birthday, Cartier’s Ballon Bleu already holds an incredibly firm standing in the world of fine watchmaking, and amongst the litany of iconic designs stemming from the jeweller of kings. Its universal appeal, holding a perfect balance between masculinity and femininity, combined with the quintessential elements that make it unmistakably Cartier, ensure it’s a watch lusted after by the masses. For 2021’s edition of Watches and Wonders, Cartier revisited the lineup, introducing a crowd-pleasing 40mm size with their in-house movement.

The case

When it comes to watch cases, Cartier have always excelled in their geometric uniqueness. From the Tank to the Crash, the prerequisite for a Cartier watch is for it to feel like a sculpture first, and a timepiece second. As the Ballon Bleu’s name implies, the signature of this case is a bulbous and soft circular appearance, with the barest hint of lugs that serve only to flow the bracelet or strap smoothly into the edge. Although the 40mm diameter of these models cater more towards male wrists, those small lugs certainly allow it to fit much smaller wrists than you may imagine. But, the Ballon Bleu isn’t too simple, with the side of the case morphing and flowing around the embedded sapphire cabochon that both protects the crown during wear and unifies the watch’s design with its functionality. It’s available in steel, 18K pink gold, and gold with a diamond-set bezel.

 

The dial

The standard Ballon Bleu dial was an instant success for a reason. Its elegance is simultaneously understated and lavish, with just the right amount of detail and complexity to keep you staring at it after you’ve checked the time. The centre section, with segmented flower-petal guilloché, is surrounded by a silver minute track, inversely warped to integrate the black-rimmed oval date window, itself pushed left from the case to allow for the crown indent. It is here at 3 o’clock that the hour markers are interrupted, with the brushed silver background neatly trimmed and the stoic Roman numerals continuing around the perimeter. However for a sportier appearance, there is also the option of a blazing blue sunburst dial, reminiscent of a London blue topaz, and a warm smoky grey. The blue option is a serious contender in the crowd of blue-dialled steel watches, and the grey dial in the gold case begs to be worn during a midnight cocktail at a legendary jazz bar.

The strap

Cartier were one of the early adopters of a quick-change system amongst luxury watch brands, and have highlighted the annoyance that the traditional spring-bar system carries. The bracelet option is definitely the most popular, as the smooth polished H-links carry the softness of the case down across its length, and the brushed centre-links restrict the bracelet’s reflectivity as to not distract from the head of the watch. But, should you opt for the leather strap, you’ll be treated to a fabulous piece of alligator skin in an integrated style, and the colour matched depending on the dial.

The movement

Cartier’s in-house caliber 1847 MC should be lauded, although it may not be for the reasons you expect. The 1847 MC is only mildly decorated, and has relatively unsurprising specifications with a 42 hour power reserve, 23 jewels, and a 28,800vph beat rate. It has no complications past a date window, and hand-winding and hacking seconds are expected of watches at any budget now. The greatness of the 1847 MC is in its reliability, and its affordability. These movements have been around for a number of years now, and the general consensus is that they are very rugged movements that keep tremendous accuracy. This allows Cartier’s focus to be aimed almost entirely at the exterior of the watch, giving customers some of the best jewellery-grade finishing available for quite attainable prices.

While these releases aren’t breaking much new ground, the evolution of the Ballon Bleu range can only be a great thing for Cartier. No doubt the Ballon Bleu will continue to be their best-seller, fulfilling the needs of those who were just waiting for their Goldilocks size.

Pricing and availability

Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier
Ref. CRWGBB0039 (Pink gold, white dial, bracelet) $45,100
Ref. CRWGBB0035 (Pink gold, white dial, strap) $22,100
Ref. CRWSBB0040 (Steel, white dial, bracelet) $9500
Ref. CRWSBB0039 (Steel, white dial, strap) $8750