One of my greatest pleasures during the SIHH is to discover the latest creative jeweled watches from Cartier. This year, one of the major pieces of the new collection of the brand is the Panthères et Colibri watch which offers an original display of the power reserve.

The name of the watch immediately raises a question: why "Panthères" (panthers in French) in its plural form while clearly Cartier's favorite animal is displayed only once on the dial? This is the key point of this watch: by pushing the crown, a small baby panther pops out and the hummingbird starts to fly to stop at the power reserve level it has to indicate. Cartier thus features two of its favorite themes: the animals of course and a fun and interactive complication. In a sense, this watch reminds me of the Rotonde Earth and Moon which offers the display of moon phases on demand. In both cases, the dial comes to life, changes and plays with its components.



The Panthères et Colibri watch (even in English, we shall keep the French name!) is primarily an elegant watch despite its impressive size: the diameter is 42,75mm which is consequently very large for a piece whose purpose is to adorn a lady's wrist. But is this so obvious?


By putting it on my wrist, I did not feel any discomfort and for a gems set watch, I found it rather appropriate for a male wrist. There is obviously its size that explains this feeling but it is not the only reason. The rhodiumized white gold dial set with 11 brilliant-cut diamonds and the own rendering of the main panther are also contributing a lot. This white gold panther, adorned with 270 diamonds and speckled with black lacquer offers very geometric lines and its expression remains neutral or even slightly aggressive which is a positive point for me. I feel very well the power of the animal, magnified by the emerald eye.

The work and finishes on the  case are also perfectly executed. The rhodiumized  white gold case is set with 314 diamonds and the achievement from Cartier is to have maintained harmonious proportions. The volume of the case remains very reasonable despite the gems setting and the watch is actually very wearable. This case is the perfect complement to the main panther and the fact that all these set components are part of a scene softens the jeweled dimension of the watch. The cumulative number of diamonds is impressive but the piece doesn't fall into the excess and retains all its refinement.



Beyond its aesthetic and the interactive side of the complication, the element that attracted me the most is the handwind movement 9915 MC. This movement, which features a generous size (36,18mm) is nice to wind and it offers a 3-day power reserve (and so justifying the need to display this power reserve dial side). Visible on the caseback, its visual rendering is rather unusual. It is finished with care and with a very sober decorative approach. I would have preferred at this stage more exuberance to be consistent with the precious and poetic atmosphere of the watch. The asset of the architecture of the movement is to give us the ability to observe the mechanism of the power reserve display on demand. You can note that the balance wheel keeps a rather small diameter which visually surprises a bit due to the size of the movement. But its greatest feature is that the power reserve display mechanism is activated by the crown. This is obviously much more convenient and especially more relevant aesthetically speaking! The Panthères et Colibri watch avoids the necessity to add an unsightly pusher and  all its purity and elegance are preserved.




This elegance is enhanced once the watch is put on the wrist. The case diameter appears as ideal to enjoy the animated scene. In addition, the black dial fortunately reduces the perception of size. However, it is very important to accurately adjust the folding clasp because the weight of the watch is relatively significant and it needs to be perfectly positioned on the wrist to get the required comfort on the wrist. The time display is almost incidental in this context and is discreetly located above the panther. The precise time reading is not easy  given the absence of index and the hands lengths but these hands manage at the end to give a quite precise representation of what  it is the actual time.

Cartier, by putting on stage its favorite animal, adds a new successful piece to its collection of creative jeweled watches. Realized with care, technically accomplished and fun, I really enjoyed wearing this watch whose aim is to be worn by ladies ... and I couldn't miss the opportunity to put it on my own wrist! After all, men too have the right to play with the famous Cartier panther!



Thank a lot to the team of the Cartier Boutique of Paris Capucines.

Pros:
+ A very attractive dial
+  An interactive and fun complication
+ The performances of the movement 9915 MC  
+ a set watch which at the end can be worn on men's wrists.

Cons:
- The finish of the movement lacks a more daring decorative approach
- The double adjustable floding clasp spoils a bit too much the strap

This message has been edited by foversta on 2016-04-09 14:29:36