Cartier

SJX
[Purist]
8540

• Show profile
• Show other posts

My top five from Cartier at SIHH 2012

A few weeks after SIHH it is easier to reflect back on what was launched, especially for a brand like Cartier which had the largest collection of new models. I have been asked repeatedly to pick my favourites from each brand, so here are my top five watches from Cartier.

Panthere Masse Secrete

Because this is a ladies watch, it received a lot less attention than the mens’ watches. But it is no less interesting than most of them. It contains a new calibre, the 9603 MC with peripheral winding. But unlike other prior watches with such winding mechanisms, this watch has the rotor mounted on the dial.

Despite its appearance there is no pinion in the centre of the dial for the rotor, instead it is mounted on the perimeter of the dial on ceramic ball bearings. That is also where it links to the winding gears.

Also interesting is the movement design; notice the rounded and somewhat organic shapes of the bridges. While the movement finishing is good, I wish a more sophisticated or at least more pleasant looking regulator was used (this is a weakness is several of the in-house calibres).

Rotonde Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon

This flagship complication deserves a long post of its own. But to summarise, the minute repeater was developed in-house and was in development for several years with research done in four areas - loudness, pitch, timbre and reverberation – to ensure optimal acoustic performance. The result is a watch that sounds top class, easily on par with most other brands, and also loud at 68 dB.

Someone asked me how this compares to the fabled Patek repeaters. I am not sure as I had no chance to compare them side by side. But the fact that I am unsure means that this Cartier repeater is already very, very good.

Finishing is equally impressive. Care was paid to ensure this is the best finished Cartier watch in production today and that has paid off. This has the Geneva Seal, but that’s less important to me than the actual finishing, which is superb.

Rotonde Annual Calendar

The minute repeater got the most publicity because it is a repeater, but the highlight of the Fine Watchmaking line is the annual calendar. Paradoxically it is difficult to do something simple, especially something useful and inventive. The annual calendar achieves all this with its multi-layered dial.

Red indicators point to the month and day. Although the dial looks busy, and it is, the calendar is legible because the red indicators stand out sharply.

The big date is also legible, though the dial means it sits quite deep in.

Notably, all the calendar indications are also adjusted via the crown. The annual calendar module was developed in-house, and sits on the in-house 1904 MC automatic calibre.

The case is quite large at 45 mm, due to the movement size of 30 mm (due to the calendar module) and the fact that the calendar has to fit on the dial legibly.

Priced at approximately EUR25,000 before tax, this is both an innovative and highly competitive product.

Louis Cartier XL

This year was a big year for the Tank with the launch of the Anglaise. But notable was the launch of the Tank Louis Cartier XL.

The Tank LC is in many ways the quintessential Tank, even though it wasn’t the first Tank design which was the Normale. But a few years ago the mechanical Tank LC watches were discontinued and only, horrors of horrors, quartz models were available. And to add insult to injury, they had a date window.

So to the relief of some the Tank LC is back in ultra-slim, 5.1 mm high form. The case measures 40.4 mm by 33 mm. The movement is the Piaget 430P hand-wind.

Tank Folle

Last is the Tank Folle, which reminds me of those cartoons where the character is electrocuted.

This watch follows the philosophy first laid down by the iconic Crash – squeeze, stretch and twist the case, and something beautiful will emerge. It is a simple idea, but it takes taste to execute well. Cartier excels at this and the Folle is the latest in a series of asymmetric watches.

This is limited to 200 and a ladies watch, measuring just 29 mm by 34 mm. But imagine the possibilities for a men’s watch? I know some are imagining that already.

- SJX