Cartier Calibre de Cartier (Reference: W7100036)
I've always thought of Cartier as a jeweler, first and foremost, but more and more these days, I find myself being attracted to their watch designs. Their Santos 100 XL is already on my Wish List and this is the next entry. I'm a sucker for gold and stainless two-tone watches with white dials and gold bezels as it is and this piece gives me even more to love. The separate seconds dial at 6 o'clock and the 1-in-3 date window at 3 o'clock give this watch some character and keep it from looking too symmetrical. The sapphire spinel planted in the middle of the crown is a nice touch, too. One thing that really stands out to me is the way the flange-like bezel recedes into the crystal. I don't really see that a lot. The case is interestingly shaped, as well. The lugs appear to curve down more dramatically than they do on any other watch I've seen. Inside the unusual case is the in-house, 27-jewel, 1904 MC movement with a 48 hour power reserve. Given how attractive this piece is and its in-house movement, it's hard to believe that this is an "entry-level" Cartier watch. The Cartier Calibre is available in pink gold, stainless steel, or pink gold/stainless steel with either a leather strap or metal bracelet. The watch pictured above goes for about $12,000. (Check out the entire Cartier Calibre line on their website.)
Ralph Lauren Stirrup (Reference: RLR0021700)
I'm usually not one for buying certain goods from manufacturers not known for making them. For instance, I would never buy a vacuum cleaner from Ford or a pair of shoes from Microsoft. So it would make sense that I would be reluctant to accept a watch by Ralph Lauren. However, to say this is a true Ralph Lauren watch is misleading. In 2007, the fashion house decided to add a line of high-end watches to its product portfolio and partnered with Richemont, the corporate umbrella under which Jaeger-LeCoultre and other illustrious watchmakers such as Baume et Mercier and IWC reside. I think that's a great idea and one that should give comfort to hard-core Ralph Lauren customers who want a well-made timepiece that matches their style and watch collectors who value original, attractive design as much as watchmaking pedigree. The example above houses the manual-wind, 22-jewel RL701 movement made by Jaeger-LeCoultre specially for Ralph Lauren. I typically don't like gold-on-black, but this combination of a rose gold case with a black alligator leather strap pops in an attractive way. Leave it to Ralph Lauren to make a watch the same shape as a horse stirrup. I wonder if any owners will actually wear this watch when they play polo. If they decide to leave it at home, it will stay wound for about 70 hours. But if I had a $16,000 watch like this one, I would want to wear it all the time. The Ralph Lauren Stirrup Collection is available in 3 different sizes in stainless steel, rose gold, white gold, and platinum and almost every model comes on a leather strap. Chronograph functionality and diamond-set bezels for certain models are also available options. (If you would like to learn more about this watch line on the Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co. website, click here.)
