Last week, I had the pleasure of holding this magnificent timepiece, and was blown away at the absolute thinness of it’s overall figure. I mean, this thing is tiny. As I wore it (around the Cartier showroom, of course), I could barely feel it on my wrist; and it seemed like a much more attractive alternative to the Bulova I was sporting at the time. However, a quick look at the pricetag – a cool $22,000 – and I was quickly brought back down to reality. This is the Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier, and it is their thinnest watch to date. This watch made its debut at SIHH last year, and will be featured in three, limited-edition colorways: pink gold, white gold, and platinum – the platinum version featuring a rich, dark blue dial. The one that I got to hold was the rose gold version which features a guilloché detail on the dial (seen above).

 The most attractive feature of this watch, other than it’s impossible thinness, is the blue cabochon crown, which is housed within the circle of the dial, giving a very tactile, half-moon effect. I couldn’t help to spin it, as it looked so good, and the fluting around the edges almost invited my fingers to do so.. The Ballon Bleu features a Swiss Made Automatic (or Quartz) movement that is water resistant up 30m, and a flattened crystal face that was treated with anti-reflected sapphire to improve the watch’s already-impressive profile. Also, this baby is carved from either solid gold or platinum, which makes it pretty much the sexiest dress-watch ever to be created. Check out the captivating video for the Ballon Bleu by Cartier below:

 Usher spotted , rocking his Ballon Bleu

The watch is available in 3 sizes for both men and women, and can be purchased at Cartier dealers worldwide.