Cartier

SJX
[Purist]
8540

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A pair of modest mechanicals from FWM presented at SIHH 2012

Many of the interesting Cartier’s Fine Watchmaking timepieces are quite large, with the Astroregulateur taking the cake at 52 mm. So it is unsurprising there has been plenty of clamour for smaller sized cases from both collectors and retailers, and also on this forum. This is especially so in Asia.

Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon 

Cartier was listening and at SIHH 2012 it unveiled two models in more modestly sized cases. At 40 mm and 40.5 mm respectively, the Flying Tourbillon and Perpetual Calendar are the two of the smallest diameter watches in the men’s Fine Watchmaking collection (FWM).

Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar 

In a 40 mm white or rose gold case, the Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon uses the 9452 MC movement, which was the first calibre presented in the Fine Watchmaking collection in the 47 mm Ballon Bleu Flying Tourbillon. Because the movement is only 10 ¾ ”’, or 24.5 mm, wide, it looks much more proportionate relative to the dial in this case than the earlier, larger iterations.

Ballon Bleu Flying Tourbillon 

The movement is made in Geneva, inside the Roger Dubuis factory but on a floor run by Cartier. Though it shares some concepts with the Roger Dubuis flying tourbillon movement, Cartier considered an in-house movement due to the significant reengineering required before it became it 9452 MC. But finely finished as it is, the movement is not particularly revolutionary from a mechanical point of view since it is just a flying tourbillon; there are much more intriguing calibres in the FWM range.

And that brings me to its compatriot, the Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar. This has the in-house 9422 MC movement, which is the 1904 MC automatic calibre with a retrograde perpetual calendar module on top. Previously this calibre was in the Tortue case and then the Calibre de Cartier.

Calibre de Cartier Perpetual Calendar

The 40.5 mm case creates a perfectly proportioned dial – all the calendar displays sitting where they should be, neither too close nor too far from the perimeter or the centre. Like the tourbillon this is available in white or rose gold.

Besides the smaller case sizes, Cartier has also opted for a more classic dial styling with these two watches. Instead of the usual ruthenium and silver dial of the FWM line, the dials are silvered with guilloche and blued hands. Interestingly the styling is similar to more affordable Cartier watches, which was one reason why the beautifully crafted Collection Privee Cartier Paris never sold particularly well.

There are some details that set these watches apart though. Cartier has retained the two-tiered dial construction as with the other FWM watches, with the hour numerals and minutes (and other indications for the perpetual calendar) sitting on a raised track.

Note the two tier dial 

And so these watches are what many have been asking for – unpretentious and conservatively styled timepieces.

- SJX