The latest V6 Cartier V7 version Ballon Bleu 42 mm detailed real shot review and real-replica comparison

The Cartier Ballon Bleu model is produced by the leading Super Clone manufacturer workshops with a solid 316L stainless steel case, 42 mm diameter and ETA 2824-2 caliber in Swiss norms 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.

When it comes to Ballon Bleu, I have reviewed it countless times. Over the last few years I have prepared a series of lectures that address almost every question. As the flagship of the V6, its details are also getting stronger; they are constantly fixing various minor bugs. We have done the real-replica comparison twice before, I leave the links below, you can easily look. Now I will explain to you various small details of V6 in detail through real shots.

Cash

The two models I bring to you today are the 42mm men's model and the 33mm women's model; Both are basic 316L stainless steel models, containing no precious metal, so we don't have to worry about weight. One of the elements of Ballon Bleu's classic design language is that its bezel is completely mirror-polished; This gives us a very clear feeling of "brightness". In addition, if the mirror polish becomes scratched after being worn for a long time, it can easily regain its shine by polishing again (except for serious scratches and impacts). Another point is that Ballon Bleu's case design is quite special; It consists of two parts and the bezel can be removed directly. The structure of the V6 is also the same, it is very simple, there is no need to argue. Another detail that has been discussed for many years is the crescent shape on the winding crown; There is no problem with the V6 in terms of curvature and thickness, you can see my previous articles for comparison images.

crown

This is the most characteristic area of ​​Ballon Bleu and the place that has been discussed endlessly for years. Here, you need to know this first: The stone placed in the crown in the original is not pure natural, but an artificial spinel. First of all, V6 is very close to this in terms of color and transparency. The second is the issue of workmanship; We've seen many crooked versions, but the V6 is so good at flatness and smoothness that it can't be faulted. In addition, the gear structure on the edge of the winding crown is machined round and smooth; It does not cause any discomfort when touched, which is one of the most successful details of V6 Ballon Bleu. We should also pay attention to this: When viewed from the side, the crown is completely recessed into the case and does not protrude. This is a point where many pawnshops look at the real vs. replica distinction, and the V6 is fine.

Glass

The glass of the Ballon Bleu is one of the most soulful parts of the entire watch. Double-domed, fish-eye patterned sapphire glass is used; No matter which angle we look at it, we see an extremely clear and clear fish-eye effect. V6 Ballon Bleu has done this very well since its first version. It has two distinct features: The first is that it is clean and clear, the second is that the fish-eye pattern is layered and of high quality. This is a detail of the V6 that I find very successful, unrivaled to this day. Again, there will be comparison in the following section.

dial surface

Ballon Bleu used a sunburst textured dial in a large area. I often explain the issue of sunburst quality: The sunburst or CD pattern that stands out at a glance, no matter how far it is viewed, is actually because it is made too large and full, in short, because it is not made thin enough. The texture of a good CD or sunburst pattern must be thin enough and its three-dimensionality must be strong enough so that it can give the transition effect it should have. When we look at it under the macro lens, the V6 has really pushed the limit: It's crisp, clean and explodes with three-dimensionality.

Another very important point is pressure. Ballon Bleu's English logo and AUTOMATIC text are almost entirely printed on the bumpy sunburst texture; This requires the printing workmanship to be solid, otherwise when we look closely or enlarge it, the problem of breaking the text will occur. Check out the V6 Factory factory print in the macro shot below: The writing is very full, the edges are extremely smooth, there are no burrs. This must be the mastery that has become legendary.

Another reason why Ballon Bleu is loved by many is its printed Roman numeral hour markers. So, are hour markers more difficult to make as prints or as metal? In fact, each of them has its own technical points. The challenge of printed marks is how to make the ink fuller and three-dimensional; These large factories can actually achieve this, this is one of the details I often focus on. Let's look at V6: The printing of the Roman numeral 11 is very full and the edges are still extremely sharp, with no spreading at all. Additionally, the anti-counterfeiting logo at position 7 is also a place that is often mistaken for a defect; Let's look under the macro lens, each English letter is very clear and three-dimensional. Another show of mastery.

The cutout in the date window opening has been sandblasted to a pearl shine; The background of the date disc is silver, the font is exactly the same as the original, there is no need to extend it.

In fact, the most complicated place to work is the "Swiss made" text under position 6; because it is very small and very thin. We look at it with a macro lens again, there is no error.

hour and minute hands

Ballon Bleu uses steel hands in the form of three kiln-dried blue swords. I noticed that many friends have various misunderstandings about heat-treated blue steel hands; He often asks me questions like "why is this needle black, shouldn't it be blue?" Let me explain again: The quality feeling that the baked blue needle gives us is that it gives different color effects in different light. When hit by strong light it appears incredibly blue, and when it stands up against the light it appears black. Now think about it, how would it feel to have your hands constantly change color while you are clinking glasses at a party outside? On the contrary, a cheap needle always looks blue and translucent, and the feeling of cheapness explodes. Needless to say, the V6, with its extremely fine kiln-dried blue steel hand, is also beyond doubt. (Under this light source, we see the three-dimensional printing effect of Roman numerals again, it is really cool.)

case back

Ballon Bleu has a closed back design. To prevent excessive scratching, a large area of ​​brushing has been used on the back of the case, and various logos and English serial numbers are engraved. In terms of both depth and form, V6 provides a high consistency with the original.

All of the 42 mm Ballon Bleu models with 3765 written on 4 independent number positions on the case back are new models replaced with the MC movement. This time the V6 Factory V7 version is fully equipped with these four new model numbers; Therefore, it carries the 2824 movement, it can be said to be perfect, as in the image above:

mechanism

I need to explain this place to you in detail. First of all, the original movement of the 42mm Ballon Bleu was always ETA2892 before 2015, without any changes; only the brand logo was added to the rotor. As we know, the most affordable version of the V6 always carries the domestic 2824 mechanism. The biggest difference in use between the two movements is the direction of date setting: in the 2892, the quick setting is from top to bottom, and in the 2824, it is vice versa. After reading this far, you may be thinking "Wow, how will this work?" Don't rush, keep listening to me. After 2015, Cartier gradually began to use its own MC series movements instead of ETA; The entire Ballon Bleu men's line switched to the self-produced MC movement. This MC movement is exactly the same as the 2824 movement, both in terms of time setting direction and date quick setting direction. This is where lightning flashed in your head (same logic for AR's single red King model). In other words, it is no longer possible to distinguish between real and replica by simply setting the time and date without opening the case back.

Let me add one more thing: I still strongly recommend upgrading to an ETA movement, because the price-performance is really high. V6 has been constantly improving its details for years, but the price has never increased; I'm really very conscientious in the current climate of covert raises. Let me cry a little first. The women's 33 mm model offers two movement options: Japanese Seiko NH5 and Swiss ETA2671; The first one is cheap and high quality, high price-performance, and the second one is exactly the same movement model as the original. You can decide for yourself which one to choose.

Strap and on-hand visuals

Ballon Bleu's steel bracelets have a bi-directional folding clasp design; The two side edges of the bracelet are polished and the middle is brushed. In the V7 version men's model, when the folding clasp is opened, I think the details in the folding area are much cleaner than before. Additionally, Ballon Bleu always offers two options: steel bracelet and leather strap; The leather strap is available in calfskin and crocodile leather options.

Let me summarize: The more popular a model is, the more labor the factory puts in, and the workmanship gets better and better. I highly recommend Ballon Bleu, the most popular of the popular; Especially if you are a beginner enthusiast and want to try it without spending a lot of money and have a very good experience, I recommend you to try this Ballon Bleu. Most importantly, the price-performance in the current range of high-end replica products is really high. On the other hand, a word of caution: the more popular a model is, the more pitfalls it has; Avoid going cheap and incurring big losses. I have hosted countless people who have been scammed over all these years and at least 70 percent of them were because of Ballon Bleu; I won't make it too long, you got it.

Okay, that's it for today's post. You can check out the high resolution photos below for more details. See you in the next review!