Cartier Ballon Bleu Chronograph Review

The Cartier Ballon Bleu model is produced by the leading Super Clone manufacturer workshops with an 18K thick gold-plated case, 44 mm diameter and a high-precision automatic Super Clone movement architecture. It is among the most successful 1:1 super clone watch reviews on the market, with its sapphire crystal AR coating glass, original case tolerances and detailed workmanship.

In the past, we have reviewed several Cartier Ballon Bleu watches in great detail and informatively, including small and medium sized models. However, now it is time to highlight a series in this magnificent collection: Cartier Ballon Bleu Chronograph.

Cartier Ballon Bleu Chronograph Review

Adding a chronometer movement to an already iconic men's watch is definitely a nice way to keep Ballon Bleu de Cartier fans and watch enthusiasts excited and curious. Moreover, with the growing trend towards larger watches with more presence on the wrist, most Cartier Ballon Bleu watches are not the right size for men. In fact, most of the watches in Cartier's Ballon Bleu family are smaller and more traditionally sized. This is probably a sign that they are updating their collections to follow this growing trend.

The 44 mm case definitely belongs to the trending oversized watches now, and according to many die-hard watch enthusiasts, this is an admirable design choice. At 14.8 mm thick, this watch case definitely has the size, weight and wrist-feel of a high-end luxury watch. Of course, a gold case like the rose gold case seen in this model is an extra plus for those who want to buy a prestigious gold watch.

The Cartier Ballon Bleu Chronograph is powered by an in-house movement: Cartier's own production caliber 1904-CH2 MC. This 31 jewel automatic chronograph movement oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, i.e. 4Hz, and has a power reserve of 48 hours. The back of the case features eight visible screws that keep the case tightly closed, and a clear, scratch-resistant sapphire glass case back that allows you to see the inner workings of the watch's wondrous mechanics.

The 1904-CH2 chronograph movement is slightly different from its predecessor, the 1904-CH, which can be found in the Caliber de Cartier Chronograph series. Instead of using a small running seconds subdial like the 1904-CH, the 1904-CH2 carries the date at 6 o'clock, indicating the day of the month. In addition to having a few more jewels in the movement, the 1904-CH has a 12-hour counter, while the Ballon Bleu Chronograph's date window is located at 9 o'clock.

The dial of the Ballon Bleu Chronograph has all the design elements you would expect to see from any Ballon Bleu watch. These include blued steel hour and minute hands, the textured elegance of Cartier's signature wavy guilloche dial pattern radiating outward from the center of the dial, and subdials.

Those familiar black Roman numerals are neatly hidden beneath the submeters; This can be seen on the dial of every model in the Ballon Bleu collection that features a moon phase complication.

They've removed the recessed and diminutive Roman numerals at 3 o'clock, as well as the 9 o'clock and 6 o'clock numerals that you'll typically see on most watches in Cartier's Ballon Bleu family. This is obviously because room had to be made for the chronograph, running small seconds sub-dial and date window. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, it allows for a more symmetrical dial design than you would normally see on a Cartier Ballon Bleu wristwatch.

A thin seconds strip is printed in black on an area of the dial in smooth, untextured silver opaline, and this smooth area wraps around the inner dial, then surrounded by a textured guilloche hour ring. This motif seems to repeat itself until you reach the perimeter of the dial, which also has a wavy guilloche pattern texture. Where things get interesting is the shape of the inner dial and watch ring.

The inner dial has a slightly asymmetrical shape, although the date window on the left side of the dial is noticeably smaller than the 30-minute counter on the right. However, they used contrast to balance the visual weight by adding a thin black frame to the date aperture on the left.

While the Ballon Bleu Chronograph exudes class and elegance, it also has a slightly sporty side. The chronograph pushers are rectangular in shape, with rounded edges and beautifully polished workmanship.

Of course, the name Ballon Bleu most likely comes from the round blue cabochon that sits on the crown. Although more oval than spherical, this motif was a recurring theme throughout the collection.

In summary, the Ballon Bleu Chronograph is a very welcome addition to an already iconic collection; and although there are not yet dozens models to choose from, Cartier is slowly adding new models with leather straps or metal bracelets, allowing this collection to grow.

Check Out This Collection