Click here to see more details about "La Donya" in the video.

In this article, we will explain about the discontinued Cartier model "La Donya."

Part of the appeal of Cartier watches is unearthing models that are no longer in production but are worthy of reappraisal.

I have the ``La Doña'' that I'm introducing this time because it has a beautiful design, or maybe because it has a cool design.

Many of you may be wondering, how did this La Doña model come about, why does it have the shape it does, and what is its history?

Wouldn't you like to know more about this?

I believe that by knowing these things, those who currently own one will feel even more attached to it, and those who are thinking about purchasing one will be able to feel more confident in their choice.

I believe that by watching this video you will come to love Radonya and Cartier even more, so please stay with us until the end.

What kind of watch is La Doña?

It's La Dona, and for us Japanese, we pronounce it as is, but the original name is La Doña.

So what does la mean? It is a feminine noun used in France and Spain.

And when "donya" is added, it comes to mean "woman," "female person," or "lady."

In short, this model is for women.

So let's take a look at the story behind how this watch came to be.

Maria Félix was a Spanish actress active in the 1940s and 1950s. There was a man named "Mr. (1914-2002) ."

*Photo provided by: Periὀdico Excélsior

The closest thing to this in Japan would be the Kano sisters, who were known for their strong fashion sense, incorporating eye-catching jewelry and bold accessories.

As such, she is also a big fan of Cartier, a top luxury jewelry brand, and Maria Felix had some beautiful custom-made pieces made by them.

The most famous pieces in Maria Felix's Cartier jewelry collection are the snake necklace and the crocodile necklace.

Image courtesy of Cartier official website

There is a story behind these accessories as well: Maria Felix brought a real baby crocodile that she kept as a pet to Cartier headquarters in France so that the craftsmen could recreate the crocodile as realistically as possible.

From Cartier's perspective, I think they were one of their biggest customers.

after that In 2006 , Cartier celebrated their relationship with Maria Felix by launching a new watch collection called "La Doña" named after her nickname.

This is the story behind the birth of the Ladonya watch.

Now let's take a look at the design.

Why is La Doña designed like this?

La Doña's name is not the only thing that stands out; its unique design is inspired by the crocodile, an animal Felix loved.

The La Dona case has an asymmetrical style, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

The reason for this design is that it resembles a crocodile's head.

Please see the image below↓

If you put them side by side, you can see that when you look at a crocodile's head from above, the base of the head is wide and the mouth is narrow.

It was inspired by this shape and the design is what gave it its asymmetrical shape.

Now let's look at the belt part.

The belt is rounded and has a mirror finish.

The thick adjustable link bracelet is inspired by crocodile scales. Its solid feel and smooth curves shine beautifully from any angle, and when combined with the case it is transformed into a work of art.

As for this La Dona belt, in addition to the metal bracelet, Cartier also offers the La Dona belt with a colorful leather strap.

This allowed women to enjoy color on their wrists as well.

As it is a model specifically for ladies, they have fully understood such needs.

Although La Dona is not an exact replica of a crocodile, it captures Maria Felix's ferocity and her beloved exotic pets, in keeping with Cartier's interpretation and philosophy.

Let's take a look at the dial

Looking at the dial, its shape is bold and beautiful, but it stays true to Cartier's traditional square style, with black Roman numerals set against a light white background, and the shading makes it easy to read and practical.

And if you look closely at the dial, you will notice something.

First, the dial on the left is the standard dial used on stainless steel models.

On the right is the dial with guilloche engraving, which is used on models other than stainless steel models.

Generally, Cartier dials are decorated with wavy guilloche engraving, but La Donna uses a decoration called soleil.

Soleil means "sun" in French, and as the name suggests, there are lines radiating from the center to the outside.

Now let's take a look at the crown next to the case.

The crown is heptagonal and is fitted with a blue cabochon, Cartier's signature stone, a synthetic stone called spinel.

In diamond models, this tip is also set with diamonds and is adorned with natural diamonds.

Both stones match the case beautifully, and the placement of the crown on the case is perfect and a testament to Cartier's high level of design.

Let's take a look at the size range

Ladonya comes in three sizes: mini, SM, and LM.

They are the Mini and SM, but both have a case diameter of around 20mm, so I think they will suit slender Japanese women very well.

These days, even the smallest ladies' watches are around 30mm, so I think it's great that they offer this size.

Normally, MM comes after SM, but this model does not have that.

Next comes the LM, which is basically a men's line of Cartier watches, but this one has a smaller case size and a quartz movement, so you can tell it's made specifically for ladies' watches.

Let's take a look at the material lineup

The Radonya is available in a range of materials including standard stainless steel, yellow, pink and white 18K gold, and models with diamonds set on the bezel.

The colours of these materials blend in well with the skin of women, and gold tones accentuate their beauty even more.

Stainless steel and white gold give a calm impression, while pink or yellow gold give a cuter, more feminine impression.

Diamonds give the watch a more formal look, but since the watch itself is not large, it can be used as a stylish accent without being too flashy.

summary

I think that La Donya is best described as elegant rather than cute.

The design of the dial and the placement of the crown are both wonderful, but I think the strap that flows seamlessly from the case gives it an even higher level of beauty.

What makes Cartier different from other brands is that the straps are designed as well.

This is possible because the brand originally originated as a jewelry brand, and because the watches are pieces of jewelry rather than just watches for telling time, they are able to produce watches that anyone can see are first-class.

I would be happy if viewers can find their favorite "La Donya" through this video.