Owning experience question: Cartier Ballon Bleu and sunscreen

[BirdLovesRocks]

Hello lovelies,

I’ve been scouring the internet looking for guidance and owner experiences with wearing sunscreen with a watch. I’d love to purchase a Cartier Ballon Bleu (steel case and bracelet). I love the look of the Ballon Bleu and think it would suit me. My style is minimalist and a bit androgynous with a little flair here and there. Generally I prefer platinum, steel, and diamonds because they are suited to my skin tone and can take a lot of hand-washing and abuse. The problem is, I really can’t go outside, ever, without either wearing long sleeves or a ton of sunscreen. I have very photosensitive skin, and even a few minutes of exposure to the sun makes my skin blister. This makes the summers *fun* because I either have to sweat in long sleeves or marinate in SPF 70. I am not exaggerating when I say I’m a sticky mess even when I’m just walking around town trying to enjoy some nice weather.

Does anyone here own a steel Ballon Bleu? How durable is it? Does it withstand sweat and sunscreen? Or do you just not wear it if you know you’ll be sweating/needing to put on SPF? I would never wear this watch for exercise or in the shower, but I am hoping that I could enjoy it for more than just the winter months!

 

[Bron357]

Stainless steel is a stable metal, look at all those cooking pots that go through being heated and then the dishwasher time and time again.
So wearing sunscreen isn’t going to have any effort.
If you are concerned I would simply give it a quick scrub with a toothbrush and water, especially the links from underneath, and dry with a soft cloth before putting it away after wearing.
If the model isn’t waterproof don’t dunk it in water but a quick scrub avoiding the winder and drying won’t do any harm.

 

[Sparkles88]

I have a Ballon Bleu and I live in Australia so I’m also a big sunscreen user. I must admit, I don’t wear my watch daily and tend to wear for special occasions.
I live a very casual lifestyle and spend most of my days in gym gear as I exercise every day, so I prefer to wear a smaller watch most of the time.
So far it’s held up well, I have owned it for 5 years, it’s had one battery change and it still looks new. I don’t worry about wiping it down, but I guess you could use a damp cloth or maybe an unscented baby wipe and wipe down the links to keep it clean.

 

[LightBright]

I think sunscreen will be fine per the above.

Off topic- I also recommend sun gloves when you don’t want to put on sunscreen, for example when driving or doing casual outdoor activities.

 

[BirdLovesRocks]

You are all enabling me Thank you for your responses!

I think sunscreen will be fine per the above.

Off topic- I also recommend sun gloves when you don’t want to put on sunscreen, for example when driving or doing casual outdoor activities.

Sun gloves are a good idea. I have some sun sleeves that I wear sometimes, not sure why I never extended that to gloves!

 

[BirdLovesRocks]

I have a Ballon Bleu and I live in Australia so I’m also a big sunscreen user. I must admit, I don’t wear my watch daily and tend to wear for special occasions.
I live a very casual lifestyle and spend most of my days in gym gear as I exercise every day, so I prefer to wear a smaller watch most of the time.
So far it’s held up well, I have owned it for 5 years, it’s had one battery change and it still looks new. I don’t worry about wiping it down, but I guess you could use a damp cloth or maybe an unscented baby wipe and wipe down the links to keep it clean.

I imagine microfiber and some mild soap would work well. I guess the only concern I really have is the gaskets. Hopefully sweat/sunscreen isn’t too corrosive.

Your watch is stunning on you, by the way! It suits your wrist perfectly!

 

[BirdLovesRocks]

Stainless steel is a stable metal, look at all those cooking pots that go through being heated and then the dishwasher time and time again.
So wearing sunscreen isn’t going to have any effort.
If you are concerned I would simply give it a quick scrub with a toothbrush and water, especially the links from underneath, and dry with a soft cloth before putting it away after wearing.
If the model isn’t waterproof don’t dunk it in water but a quick scrub avoiding the winder and drying won’t do any harm.

Good point about stainless steel cookware! And just one more thing to enable me

Thanks for the feedback!