Why Do So Many People Choose Cartier Over Rolex?

Since 2020, Cartier's global sales have surpassed Omega, making it the world's second-largest watch brand by sales, a position it has consistently held (Rolex is first). Why do so many people worldwide choose Cartier among so many luxury watch brands? Best cheap watches online, discover our affordable replica Hublot Big Bang unico watches collection.

 Every year, Cartier releases many stunning new watches, and this Ballon Bleu with a day and night star dial is another aventurine-plated star watch that has impressed me, following Lange's "Saxon Starry Night". 

The Cartier Ballon Bleu, launched in 2007, is one of the most widely available Cartier models on the market. This familiar Cartier watch, with its entirely new dial design and combination of aventurines and diamonds, not only offers a refreshing look but also rivals the effect of A. Lange & Söhne's "Saxon Starry Night," showcasing Cartier's over 120 years of expertise in watch design.

The aventurine dial of the Cartier Ballon Bleu Day & Night model is made from colored glass mixed with copper powder and then cut. Aventurine, in the context of high-end watches, now refers specifically to dial materials made of glass and copper powder; brands like A. Lange & Söhne and Ulysse Nardin use this type of dial. However, aventurine ore from nature is now rarely used for watch dials.

The brilliance of the Cartier Ballon Bleu Day & Night model lies in its day/night indicator window, located at the 10 o'clock position. A crescent shape is formed between the hour markers and the hour ring, with circular lines embedded within the hour ring (again, this is a day/night indicator, not a moon phase). The day/night indicator is adorned with stars and features a circular brushed finish. On the aventurine starry sky dial, the day/night indicator window, the hour markers, and the lettering truly appear to float above the night sky.

Antique Panerai Watch PAM05218

Is it reasonable for me to call Panerai's latest watch an "antique watch"? Yes, it is. Because it is a complete reproduction of the Panerai 5218-202A black-plated model launched in 1993. You read that right, even the new model number is directly inherited from the "vintage watch". Best cheap watches online, discover our affordable replica Panerai Luminor Marina watches collection.

The "orange" hour markers on the vintage 5218 watch were due to a reaction between the early tritium luminescent material and the dial lacquer, turning the markers orange while the hands remained white. However, the new 5218 uses modern Super-LumiNova luminescent coating for its hour markers, with orange being the base color.

These "orange" hour markers have a slightly recessed effect. This is because, like the vintage model, the new 5218 first slightly recesses the dial to create the shape of the hour markers, then fills the recessed area with luminescent coating, resulting in the orange color. Additionally, we can see the Italian inscription "MARINA MILITARE" (meaning Italian Navy) printed below the dial. 

Like the vintage models, the PAM05218 is 44mm in size and 13mm thick, with a black-plated stainless steel case. However, the new 5218 uses DLC black plating, a diamond-coated black finish, which offers improved hardness and scratch resistance compared to the PVD black plating of the vintage models. A subtle detail is that while the case and crown guards are DLC black-plated, the case back remains the silver of stainless steel. This is to maintain consistency with the vintage models. As for the thickness, who cares about thickness when buying a Panerai? The watch is water-resistant to 300 meters.

The exterior is identical to the vintage watch, but the movement is a newer model. The new 5218 uses the Panerai P6000 manual-winding movement, while the vintage 5218 used the ETA 6497. In fact, the current Panerai P6000 was launched to replace the older ETA 6497.