Cartier tank w/ leather strap?

[mrsry]

A little over a month ago, I bought myself an Omega Constellation with diamonds--I guess it was a reward for getting through all the wedding stress. Then on my honeymoon, one of the pins in the strap fell out so I had it fixed, and then lost the watch on a beach the next day. I guess the watch and I were never meant to be!

So now I''m looking at the stainless steel Cartier Tank with the leather strap...I think that really goes better with my style and won''t overpower the only other piece of jewelry I wear. (My wedding ring is a 2mm platinum band.) But I''m concerned about the fact that I want it with the leather strap, not metal--is it durable enough to be an everyday watch? Do you think I''m making a mistake by choosing the leather strap?

 

[diamond lover 2]

If I were you, I will get a stainless steel tank with s/s band too, not leather band, as it''s more timeless and easier to match outfit. If you get black leather strap, it will not match a blue top plus jeans, unless you are going to just wear the watch with leather strap with formal work suit. I think the entire s/s watch can go very well with your platinum band and nearly all outfit. I personally prefer s/s watch over leather strap watch, unless you have a few other watches to match different outfit.

Apart from Cartier, maybe you can look at Bedat watch, they have pretty nice and elegant designs.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Just wanted to tell you that I''m so sorry that you lost your watch. Hope you find another one soon.

 

[lyra]

I''d go with a s/s band. Leather stretches and can crack eventually, looking worn out. True, it''s easily replaceable, but usually it''s difficult to match the original leather band a couple of years down the line. Also, s/s does go with everything, and can stand water splashes a lot better than leather. Good luck.

 

[Kaleigh]

I''d go with a SS bracelet instead of a leather strap. The leather doesn''t last long, and is very expensive to replace. HTH, and I am sorry you lost your watch. I love Cartier watches!!!

 

[tina sparkle]

i would vote for the leather band. i have a tiffany & co. stainless watch that came with a black leather band, and i think it is timeless and classic. the band does wear out after awhile but is not hard to replace.

 

[ladyciel]

I used to only ever buy leather band watches but at some point decided to give s/s bands a try. I will never go back. I find the metal band to be more comfortable, more durable, less costly in the long run, easier to match to ANYTHING (mine is two-tone with both silver and gold colors, which means I can wear whatever I feel like - clothes and/or jewelery - and it blends in beautifully), and, most surprising to me when I first switched, just as much "my style" as leather had been. I had convinced myself I liked leather better just because it was what I was used to. In reality, I was just afraid of change.

 

[mrsry]

You guys are definitely not making it easy!

I''m torn because I really preferred the look of that particular watch with the leather band, although in general I like the convenience and durability of a metal band. I talked to the salesperson about pricing on a better quality replacement band, because I didn''t like the band that comes with it and wanted a finer grain, and he said it would be a little over $200 although the store would discount it for me. I can''t figure out whether the added cost and the black not matching everything are worth paying more for the version I don''t find as attractive.

I think if I got something with a stainless steel band, it would be the Omega Constellation without diamonds. Besides it not being my style, I just can''t wear all that flash where I work--I teach in an area with a lot of crime and wouldn''t feel safe. Which would you choose? And thanks for all the helpful advice!

 

[diamond lover 2]

I think Omega Constellation is a good choice as it has a nice design and the model is timeless (I think they haven''t changed the model much for a decade!) You may also check out Longines, I at the price of Omega constellation, you can get some diamonds around the bezel for Longines. I personally like some bling to the watch, as it looks good at day and night.

Anyway, happy shopping!

 

[Stone Hunter]

Based on my reading of all the PS threads on watches. I would go with the Omega. It is a nice looking sleek watch. It is usually quartz but Omega has a very good quality reputation. I have a friend that loves hers and has had it quite a while without any problems.

HTH

 

[risingsun]

I just bought an Omega Constellation with a diamond bezel and MOP face. I chose the mini size, as my wrists are small. It goes well with my wedding set and is not overpowering. I have a thread called "My New Watch--It Has Bling," if you want to take a look. I also recommend the SS bracelet. The leather straps get worn out pretty quickly. It can be difficult and expensive to find suitable replacements. Let us know what you decide to do!

 

[mrsry]

Your watch is beautiful! The one I had was a lot like yours, except it had the shinier s/s band and instead of lines to mark the hours, it had little squares. For some reason the polished finish looked much better with my skintone.

I just think the diamonds will be way too flashy for where I work and could catch the wrong person''s eye, unfortunately! When I bought the first one, I didn''t know I''d be transferring to that school so it wasn''t an issue.

 

[baby monster]

Sorry to hear you lost your watch. I would vote for a s/s Cartier. They have a timeless design and are very durable. I got a Santos 5 years ago and never had any problems. I wear it every day.

I do agree with you on keeping the diamonds off the watch if you work in a so-so area. They will attract unnecessary attention when most people would not otherwise notice your watch. Most people haven''t seen an expensive watch and don''t know what they look like but almost everyone knows what ''bling'' is. In my experience, only 2 or 3 people in 5 years actually realized what kind of a watch I wear but I get quite a few comments on my diamond rings.

 

[mrsry]

I''m starting to think maybe a good compromise would be one of the Constellations without diamonds, with the shinier s/s band. This could be a long shot, but does anyone know if there is a version with the shiny band? It''s so hard to tell in photos!

 

[mrsry]

I had a similar experience with the rings; when I got engaged my male students (who were all taller than me) made comments for the rest of the year about my ring. If I wasn''t on such good terms with them, I might have thought twice about wearing the ring to school. Girls who didn''t drive and had to walk through nearby neighborhoods definitely left their rings at home!