Like a well-made suit or credit card debt, Cartier intends for its watches to grow old with—and outlive—their owners. Thus, when introducing a rare new model, the renowned maison des bijoux can be forgiven for overexerting itself somewhat. Behold the tabloid newspaper-sized multi-artist comic book that accompanies the Ballon Bleu, their first new design since the Roadster in 2001.

Under the gold-trimmed, embossed cover, renowned graphic artists from around the globe divine a creation myth for le Ballon that is bombastic enough to make Superman's seem insipid. France's Moebius (aka Jean Giraud), Japanese manga veteran Jiro Taniguchi, and the American Charles Burns, among others, have fun with the concept, each nudging the meandering tall tale in their signature direction, Mad Libs-style, but by the final chapter one wonders if a simple billboard wouldn't have sufficed.

Cartier describes its latest master timepiece as drawing "a line between past and future, between what we know and what we would like to know about the universe and time." Yes…but more importantly, it looks like a million dollars (prices start at $7,300). Available in three sizes and in multiple finishes (yellow, white, and pink gold; steel; with or without diamonds), it boasts a face that is rounded on both sides—as is the casing that surrounds the dial—which gives the watch a slightly zaftig feel. It's a beautiful, bulbous addition to Cartier's repertoire and deserving of ebullient praise. The comic book, however, like the watch's whimsical namesake, is full of hot air.

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