Cartier La Dona

La Dona de Cartier is a women's line from the French jewellery house Cartier, launched in 2006. It is named after the Mexican actress and singer María Félix: she earned the nickname La Doña from her role in the film ‘Doña Bárbara’, and in 1975 she commissioned from the house a gold necklace in the shape of two crocodiles. Hence the shape of the watch: the trapezoid case echoes the profile of a crocodile's head, and the substantial bracelet is made of cast, polished crescent-shaped links that read as scales.

The case is asymmetric: the top and bottom edges are not parallel, the side profile is curved and the caseback follows the line of the wrist. As a result the watch sits snugly, and the integrated bracelet spreads the weight rather than pulling towards the clasp. This geometry is difficult to machine — the facets are milled and polished separately, and they give the line its recognisable silhouette.

Versions differ in metal, case size, type of movement and the presence of diamonds; the details of each watch — reference, calibre, case size, bracelet material, condition and what is included — are on its product page. Reference W640010H, for example, has a 27 mm case in 18-carat (750) yellow gold, the Cartier 059 quartz calibre and a sapphire cabochon on the crown.

Related Cartier collections include Panthère de Cartier, Baignoire, Tank and Santos.