Cartier Santos 100 & Ballon Bleu with ADLC

With the Belmont Stakes just about to happen and many conservative and flamboyant spectators are seeking out their proper attire for the occasion, plus sorting thru flashy gold jewelry and watches. A brand known to definitely bring the bling is Cartier, unless you want to make a fashion statement and wear the new “blacked-out” pieces they’ve recently produced;  introducing the iconic “Ballon Bleu” and “Santos 100”, now made out of ADLC.

Image courtesy of: Cartier

ADLC stands for “amorphous diamond-like carbon” and it’s not a novelty for Cartier. They have been making watches with ADLC for quite some time. These black cases provide a younger, more durable aesthetic to these classic watches. It also opens Cartier up to new customers, as well as offer a fresh alternative to those fans that appreciate the Cartier style, but were craving something non-gold.

Image courtesy of: Cartier

Another plus to the use of ADLC comes in the form of its resilience. Such an enhanced construction makes this the kind of luxury watch you could easily use as a daily item, without fearing severe damage. Cartier even states the ADLC is a superior coating to PVD; as hard as diamond and with a slightly elastic quality. Increasing its scratch-resistance as much as its shock-resistance, with a proven track record of reliability. A much welcomed feature for what typically would be seen as expensively fragile accessories.

Cartier Ballon Blue Carbon

The 42mm round case on the “Ballon Blue Carbon” is made of steel and ADLC and features a fluted crown set with a synthetic cabochon-shaped spinel. Its black dial with white Roman numerals are pointed out by steel sword-shaped hands, with a luminescent coating. Also the seconds hand is in red for enhanced legibility and to provide an extra flare to the overall color scheme. There is a date aperture located at the 3 o’clock position. Covering the dial is a sapphire crystal which helps enforce a water-resistance that can reach up to 30m (100 feet).

Image courtesy of: Cartier

Cartier Santos 100 Carbon

The “Santos 100” model line was created by Louis Cartier back in 1904 for his Brazilian friend and aviator Alberto Santos Dumont. The 41mm “large model” square case made of steel and ADLC maintains its iconic exposed screws, just like Louis originally conceived, over a hundred years ago. The 7-faceted crown is also decorated with a faceted synthetic spinel. This new ADLC model was originally unveiled by Cartier at the SIHH 2016, among many others we wrote about at the time.

Image courtesy of: Cartier

There was actually a “Cartier Santos” issued in 2009 with ADLC and rose gold, but it was discontinued three years later. While on the market it was available with a rose-gold case and an ADLC bezel (Ref#: W20124U2) or an ADLC case with a rose gold bezel (Ref#: W2020009). But, the return of this watch has scrapped the two-tone look for this “blacked-out” motif.

Image courtesy: Cartier

Its black dial features white Roman numerals and an inner square made up of white minute index markers. This model also features the sword-shaped hands, with a red seconds hand to liven things up a bit. Topped by a sapphire crystal, but made in a way that can allow for a water-resistance can reach up to 100m (330 feet)

Cartier Ballon Blue Carbon & Cartier Santos 100 Carbon

This “Cartier 42mm Ballon Bleu Carbon” (Ref#: WSBB0015) & the “Cartier 41mm Santos 100 Carbon” (Ref#: WSSSA0006) are both powered by the new in-house self-winding mechanical movement, caliber 1847MC, with 23 jewels. Power reserve on these timepieces can last up to 42 hours. Mounted to these watches is a black calf-skin strap, with an ADLC double adjustable folding buckle on the “Ballon Bleu” and a stainless-steel triple adjustable folding clasp on the “Santos 100“.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Add 3 Pieces To “Métiers Rares Collection”

Handcrafted goods require attention to detail and a high minutiae over every aspect. Especially when laboring over valuable precious metals and nano pieces, which require a fine eyesight. But, working at Jaeger-LeCoultre “Rare Crafts Atelier” allows to unite some of the best minds and hands in this profession. And in order to celebrate and present a challenge to these artisans, Jaeger-LeCoultre has decided to have them produce 3 exclusive watches for their “Métiers Rares Collection”.

Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

At Jaeger-LeCoultre there’s an entire division devoted to the fine art of decoration, they’ve titled “Rare Crafts Atelier”. This department is composed of 30 top-notch professional craftsmen that have been able to specialize themselves in diverse crafts. Such as watchmaking’s finest decorative handcrafted tasks, like: enameling, engraving and gem setting; have been meticulously developed to achieve precision and beauty. Gathering all these expertise under the same roof allows for a better dialogue and comprehension of each coworkers contribution.

Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

At “Rare Crafts Atelier” projects can be overseen as they undergo their various steps towards completion. The skilled artisans employed by Jaeger-LeCoultre therefor have the opportunity to gaze at their fellow coworker’s labor and suggest improvements or simply develop insights for their own tasks and workflow.

Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

First off we’ll take a look at the new “Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition à Répétition Minutes”. This model has a 39mm round pink gold case, with a combination of polished and brushed parts. The minute repeater function is activated by a pusher which adds to the slimness of this timepiece. It chimes off three different notes for: hours, quarters and minutes. A refined horology piece properly suited for melomaniacs and art connoisseurs.

Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

But, the true art of this piece is featured on the dial. There is a miniature painting, which serves as a homage to one of post-impressionist Dutch painter Van Gogh’s most famous compositions the “The Starry Night over the Rhône”. This miniature rendition has been hand-painted by an enamellist from Jaeger-LeCoultre. Besides that the dial features dauphine faceted hands, which have been polished on one side and brushed on the other, for a distinctive look.

Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition à Répétition Minutes

This “Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition à Répétition Minutes” (Ref#: 50924E1) is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, caliber 942, with 58 jewels, 437 components and 28,800 vph. Power reserve on this timepiece can last up to 40 hours and water-resistance can reach up to 50m (164 feet). Mounted to this watch is a blue alligator strap with a pink gold pin buckle. This a limited edition watch of only 18 produced pieces.

Caliber 942, with 58 jewels, 437 components and 28,800 vph * Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

Another fine example of the united expertise at Jaeger-LeCoultre “Rare Crafts Atelier” is the “Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grand Tourbillon Enamel” which showcases the unique art of paillonné enamel. This technique consists of cutting out tiny pieces of silver and gold leaf foil, so afterwards they can be placed across the enamel in a decorative designed fashion. Such technique ultimately provides a blue dial featuring a constellation of gold star dust.

Image courtesy of: Jaeger-LeCoultre

The 43mm case on this timepiece is made of 18k white gold. While the dial seems like something from outer space thanks to the before mentioned paillonné enamel technique. The dark blue seems to be inhabited by clusters of stars and nebula trails. There is a white minute railroad track circling the dial along the bezel, with Arabic numerals with 5 minute increments up to 60, accompanied by white gold baton hour markers.

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