The legendary French fashion brand has finally added a third, middle-sized, member to it the elegant Dior La D de Dior family.
A perfect lady’s watch is almost an illusion. For a kind that is full of insecurities and often has a hard time choosing between two seemingly identical lipstick colors, you just can’t create an object that wouldn’t be total rubbish this morning after being the best thing ever designed by a human being just a night before. So, here I will try to limit my brief review to the technical stuff skipping the “overall impression” part.
The Case & Bracelet
Previously, the collection was available in small (19 mm) or large (38 mm) cases that, naturally, limited fans of the brand in their choices. This version in a medium-sized 25 mm case easily solves this problem making both customers and shareholders a trifle happier.
The lugs of the custom steel bracelet are a bit too long for my taste, but they are curved nicely making this gadget fit nicely even on a narrow wrist.
The only real problem that I see here is the bracelet itself. Since the La D de Dior 25 mm lacks standard horns, it will be difficult (if not impossible) to find a replacement in case you wanted something new at a more or less acceptable price.
The Dial
The new version of Dior La D de Dior is issued in two versions: one with a purple mother-of-pearl dial, and the other, which is more to my liking, comes with a checkered silver face that reminds you a piece of a chocolate bar.
The dial, of course, is not terribly readable but is still legible enough when the lighting is good. Lacking any sort of a chapter ring and offering nothing more than four tiny diamonds as hour markers, the watch is not the best choice for OCD cases who always need to know the current time with an accuracy of +/- 0.001 second. However, as a fashion accessory (which it is,) it does a pretty good job.
Both models feature diamond-set bezels and crowns and come only in stainless steel.
The Mechanism
Like almost all timekeepers of this size, the Dior La D de Dior (it is so darn hard to correctly spell the name each time) is powered by a simple quartz movement.
Since the watch is trying to capitalize on the “Swiss Made” century-old hype, the movement is also made and cased in the land of cheese, chocolate, and cuckoo clocks.
The pricing is still unknown, but the French company will probably offer it at a price of around €1200, give or take.
See also: Hublot Big Bang for Ladies
UPDATE ON PRICING: Well, it looks like yours truly was a bit too optimistic regarding the timekeeper’s MSRP. At this time, the 25-millimeter version is offered at an impressive price of $5100, which makes it one of the least affordable timepieces with similar specs.
Of course, the precious stones add a great deal to the gadget’s cost, but, damn, is it expensive. For a similar pile of cash, you can get yourself such beauties as Omega Constellation Mini Diamond or, say, a Rado Integral, which is even more affordable and is offered in a ceramic body.
Photos: Dior
Dior La D de Dior specification
Price: $5100 (Retail)
Movement: Quartz, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes
Case: Stainless steel
Bezel: Stainless steel, diamonds set
Shape: Round
Size: 25.00 mm
Dial: Silver
Hands: Steel
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Solid