Cartier Transforms the Baignoire Allongée Into a Gold-Mesh Glove
A master of often extravagant, occasionally whimsical, jewelled timepieces, Cartier has just debuted the Mitten Watch. Despite the plain name, the Mitten Watch is a dramatic blend of the jeweller’s longstanding oval watch case – the Baignoire Allongée – and a half glove of woven rose gold, finished with a sprinkling of over 1,500 diamonds. The Mitten Watch is the first unique wristwatch in Clash [Un]limited, a riff on the Clash line up of edgy jewellery. A step upwards in both exclusivity and creativity, Clash [Un]limited is a collection of watches and jewellery made up entirely of limited editions or unique creations. The Baignoire Allongée camouflaged within the rose gold mesh Initial thoughts Watches as jewellery are unsurprisingly a specialty of Cartier’s. Past examples include watches shaped like an overflowing bathtub, inspired by animals, and of course the famous Crash. But still the Mitten Watch still manages to stand out – it is quite a special creation. Being a metallic half glove certainly makes the watch interesting in both form and function, but the execution really brings the idea to life. The Baignoire Allongée – French for “elongated bathtub” – is perhaps the ideal choice for the design, with its stretched but slim profile that’s prominent enough to be visible, yet sleek enough not to be obtrusive, against the mesh glove. And then there are the diamonds that cascade outwards from the watch, giving the mitten a dynami...
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