joaillerie

Cartier Captive Women's Watch

While I rarely say this about Cartier items, this is a weird watch. That doesn't meant I don't like it, but rather that it is extremely avant garde. More so that I would expect from the brand. Torn apart, it is in fact easily placed among Cartier's ranks of highly exclusive haute joaillerie timepieces, but taken at a glance, this is something "different."

The watch is in 18k carat white gold, that interestingly has been rhodium plated. The case is 35mm wide (which Cartier considers large) with a bezel set with many diamonds that continues on to the dial as the hour markers. The watch face is actually quite tiny - with the hands being readable if you look closely. The dial is more art than watch. The elongated hour markers seem to burst in a sunray pattern. The upper lug extends into the face like part of a chain link. Chains hold things together - so perhaps that is how they came up with the "Captive" name.

Cartier gives the watch a canvas gray strap with a matching white gold strap. The watch is curved and comes with a sapphire crystal. Inside the watch is a Swiss quartz movement. A lovely little - and likely highly expensive - model.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: Captive, Cartier, haute, joaillerie, watch

Chanel "Light" Jewelry Watch Collection

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Images speak louder than words for this collection of watches that Chanel hopes to not only capture the light, but also look as though it was cut from it. Going back to what made the French luxury brand famous, their wrist watch arm releases a new line of four watches in the "Light" collection of watches.

The pictured watch is the "Tweed," while the other watches are the Ribbon, First Watch, and First Jewelry Show watches. Each of the watches is in 18k white gold covered from top to bottom in diamonds. Each watch has from about 3-10 carats of jewel weight and between about 300 and 600 stones. The watches are feminine and luxurious, while also delicate in design. Serious haute joaillarie watches from the brand that helped make the concept famous.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com

Gallery: Chanel Light Watch Collection

Tags: chanel, diamonds, haute, jewelry, joaillerie, light, watch

Milus Zetios Chronographe Joaillerie Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Milus Zetios Chronographe Joaillerie Watch

The Zetios Chronographe Joaillerie watch is a clean and clever mix of luxury and classic functionality in a watch by Milus. A mother of pearl dial and diamond bezel matched to a white strap make for a watch that is characteristically feminine. Still, with a case size of 45mm wide in either stainless steel or 18k red gold - the watch sits in the male watch court. Once again, a watch company has released an ambiguous watch that is "unisex" at best. The watch is available with a steel bracelet on the steel watch, while various colors of alligator bracelet are available with both metals.

I really like the style of lugs as twisting cylinders - this allows the strap to fit over most any wrist. A sapphire crystal sits on the face and caseback of the watch, with a view into the skeletonized rotor on the automatic Swiss movement. 62 Wesselton diamonds (1.14 carats total) sit on the bezel which goes to the "joaillerie" (jewelry) portion of the watch name. This also hints to the price of the watch, which is likely to be high, thought it may be merited given the high quality and impressive details.

Functionally the watch has an attractive and straight forward dial with applied hour numerals and lume tipped hands. The tri-compax chronograph subdial layout is easy to read and I appreciate the centrally mounted big date complication. While the design is not wholly unique it is a nice rendition of a functional luxury watch.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

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Tags: chronograph, chronographe, joaillerie, milus, timepiece, watch, zetios