Posts filed under Cartier

SIHH 2015: Introducing the New Clé de Cartier. Live Pictures and Pricing.

Today we bring you the new Clé de Cartier just released at the SIHH 2015 in Geneva. With this new watch Cartier seeks to pare down silhouettes and reduce them to their essence, with a focus on precision, balance and proportion. Great mastery was employed to create a seamless flow, a minimalist elegance and a harmonious design. Sharp edges were eliminated. The bezel is gently rounded, the horns smoothly tapered. All of which evoke an intangible perfection. “Clé” means “key” in French and the crown’s resemblance to one is unmistakable. The act of resetting the time and date introduces a new gesture to the world of watchmaking, one that recalls the traditional turning of a key to wind up a clock. Elongated and pure, it is adorned with a sapphire that is not set in a classical manner. Instead, it is ingeniously inserted to remain flush with the metal surrounding it.

Posted on January 21, 2015 and filed under Cartier, SIHH, SIHH 2015.

SIHH 2014: Experience the Cartier Pavilion. Elegance, Creativity and the Largest Number of Novelties Unveiled by Any Brand.

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This year at the SIHH 2014 Cartier presented the largest number of novelties of any brand present at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie and also had the largest pavilion of all, taking over a whole corner of the salon at the Palexpo in Geneva. Cartier presented a total of 103 new watches, 12 unique pieces and 5 new calibres. Their pavilion was elegantly decorated with light colored walls with red accents, beige wood, glass displays and very opulent but tasteful looking in general.

Some of the most fascinating pieces that were presented this year and that took the center stage included the following: the Ballon Bleu Flying Tourbillon in 39 mm available in 18K rose gold and 18k white gold, the Pasha Tourbillon Chrono 46 mm in 18K rose gold, the Rotonde de Cartier Day & Night with Retrograde Moon Phase, the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire, the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon, the Tank Louis Cartier Sapphire Skeleton, the Tank Must de Cartier Two Tone Skeleton, the Rotonde de Cartier Tourbillon Chronograph 8-day power reserve, the L'Heure Envoutee de Cartier, the Calibre de Cartier Diver and the Tortue amongst others.  

We have put together all these live pictures for your viewing pleasure so you can pretend you came along. Our live pictures of some of the novelties are very close and personal so just enjoy them.

For more info on Cartier click here.

SIHH 2014: Cartier Presents the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire. Live Pictures and Pricing.

The Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch transforms the very essence of the perpetual calendar's functioning and appearance. The Maison's idea involves inventing a creative central display that stems from a revolutionary concept. Designed like an amphitheater, with the intention of clarifying the perpetual calendar's indications, the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire's display is an incredible watchmaking feat. It overcomes numerous readability issues that are specific to the traditional approach to this complication, which requires the juxtaposition of twelve months, seven days, the date and the type of year in a diameter of just a few centimeters. Arranged three-dimensionally in concentric levels, the display of the perpetual calendar's functions is spread over the different levels: the day is indicated on the first. It is followed by the month on the second, which is itself surmounted by the date. Thin windows move along these tiers. The perpetual calendar's final function is indicated by a hand located on the back of watch and shows what type of year it is: a leap year or a normal year. Consisting of gear trains, the construction of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch's movement is a watchmaking feat that solves all the functional and ergonomic problems connected with this type of complication. It breaks away from the design of traditional perpetual calendars and introduces an alternative that enables any risk of breakage to be anticipated, adjustment errors to be resolved and chronometry to be improved. Partially patented, the gear train system of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire's 9459 MC movement replaces the traditional lever and spring mechanisms with a gear train mechanism that substantially limits the risk of breakage when the watch is over-wound at inadvisable times. The traditional design of a perpetual calendar prohibits any manual correction several hours before and after midnight at the risk of breaking the mechanism. The adjustments made using four minuscule push-pieces on the side of the case are impractical and never clearly identified. This operating problem no longer exists with the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch's movement thanks to a setting system that uses the crown.
In addition to the traditional setting of the hour and minute, the crown also controls the date and month indicators. This ease of use is further increased by the possibility of correcting the functions both forwards and backwards. Wearers of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch need no longer fear going beyond the current date as this error is easily corrected. Available in platinum in a limited series of a 100 pieces.

More images and full review coming later.

Sticker Price $150,000 Euro. For more info on Cartier's SIHH 2014 Novelties click here.

Posted on January 20, 2014 and filed under SIHH, Cartier.

SIHH 2014: Cartier Presents the Calibre de Cartier Diver's Watch. Live Pictures and Pricing.

Presented earlier today, the Calibre de Cartier Diver's watch is a true diving watch that meets the standards from the ISO 6425 for diving watches. We also decided to include a few images of the gold version model. Full review and more images to come.

Sticker Price for Stainless Steel model with rubber strap $5,550 Euro and for gold with rubber $19,000 Euro. For more info on Cartier's SIHH 2014 Novelties click here.

Posted on January 20, 2014 and filed under SIHH, Cartier.

SIHH 2014: Cartier Presents the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon. Live Pictures and Pricing.

The fascinating Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch was presented earlier today and we got a few up close shots for you including a wrist shot. This watch is the fruit of a technical and creative ambition that for Cartier consists of bringing together two complications in a daring display. The watch owes its name to the stylized portrayal of the globe and the moon represented by a tourbillon. Together, they form a creative and animated world with skeletonized Roman numerals surrounding this dynamic feat of watchmaking. The moon-phase mechanism of the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch is founded on a creative and complex design that combines a tourbillon, moon phase on demand and a second time zone. The Tourbillon mechanism is a complex complication that falls within the expertise of a limited number of watchmakers. Its main function is to fight against the effects of gravity when the watch is in a vertical position. Because it appears in its original form and exists only when its user wishes it to, the moon phase on the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch reveals a technical creativity that is doubly innovative. By pressing the push-button situated at four o'clock on the side of the case, a panels descends and partially obscures the Tourbillon carriage. The crescent thus formed reproduces exactly the moon's shape in the sky. Available in a limited edition of 50 pieces.

More pictures and full review coming later.

Sticker Price $200,000 Euro. For more info on Cartier's SIHH 2014 Novelties click here.

Posted on January 20, 2014 and filed under SIHH, Cartier.

News: Pre-SIHH 2014 Cartier Unveils Two Amazing Rotonde Timepieces. Presenting the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon and the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire.

Celebrating Cartier style in Fine Watchmaking is the Maison's creative approach for 2014. Style is a question of elegance and balance. It is the fountain-head of constant research, supported by technical expertise with a drive that redefines and questions watchmaking conventions by reinventing traditional complications such as the perpetual calendar or by transforming the timeless Tank model. Cartier's achievements in Fine Watchmaking are the fruit of a constantly innovative approach at the service of highly distinctive aesthetics. Its past as an inventor and designer has given rise to a style that favors volume and shapes. The same drive can be seen in the Maison's technical concepts: their freedom and importance have enabled Cartier to revolutionize the representation of time with Fine Watchmaking pieces that adhere to the Manufacture's highest standards. For this 2014 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Cartier expresses the excellence of its craftsmanship with the launch of innovative timepieces bearing the Maison's creative seal.

The Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch is the fruit of a technical and creative ambition that for Cartier consists of bringing together two complications in a daring display. Removed from its strictly horological role, in which it serves as a guarantee of precision and prestige, a tourbillon has been incorporated into a moon phase complication, with each one dependent on the other. The watch owes its name to the stylized portrayal of the globe and the moon represented by a tourbillon. Together, they form a creative and animated world with skeletonized Roman numerals surrounding this dynamic feat of watchmaking. The moon-phase mechanism of the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch is founded on a creative and complex design that combines a tourbillon, moon phase on demand and a second time zone. The Tourbillon mechanism is a complex complication that falls within the expertise of a limited number of watchmakers. Its main function is to fight against the effects of gravity when the watch is in a vertical position. Because it appears in its original form and exists only when its user wishes it to, the moon phase on the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch reveals a technical creativity that is doubly innovative. By pressing the push-button situated at four o'clock on the side of the case, a panels descends and partially obscures the Tourbillon carriage. The crescent thus formed reproduces exactly the moon's shape in the sky.

The second time zone of the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch is indicated by a 24-hour disc that was entirely redeveloped by for the calibre 9440 MC due to the sophistication of its disc display. The result of painstaking work, polished lapis lazuli is used for the dial and the moon panel on the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch. The hours and the second time zone are surrounded by a meticulously polished grid in 18-carat white gold. A three-dimensional dial is one of the signature features of the Cartier Fine Watchmaking collection, alongside Roman numerals that are openworked and chamfered by the hand of a master decorator in a manner akin to a skeleton movement. The exceptional finishes of the 9440 MC are all the more remarkable because the semi-skeletonized bridges on the back of the movement are structured in a star shape, echoing this precious timepiece's lunar and terrestrial character on the case back. With the the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch, the Maison Cartier has created a timepiece that displays an exceptional level of creativity and craftsmanship.

Technical Specifications of the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon

Case: platinum
Diameter: 47 mm
Crystal: sapphire
Case back: sapphire
Crown: beaded in platinum set with a blue sapphire cabochon
Dial: Lapis lazuli with an 18-carat white gold grid in the form of Roman numerals
Bezel: platinum
Hands: sword-shaped blued-steel
Casing-up diameter: 47 mm
Case thickness: 16.65 mm
Strap: black alligator-skin
Clasp: double adjustable folding buckle in 18-carat white gold
Water-resistance: 30 meters / 3 bar / 100 feet
Movement: Manufacture mechanical with manual winding, calibre 9440 MC, tourbillon, second time zone, moon phase on demand
Casing-up diameter: 17¼ lines, i.e. 38.8 mm
Total diameter: 40 mm
Thickness: 5.65 mm
Number of jewels: 40
Number of parts: 362
Balance: 21,600 vibrations/hour
Power reserve: approx. 3 days
Limited series of 50 numbered pieces.


The Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch transforms the very essence of the perpetual calendar's functioning and appearance. The Maison's idea involves inventing a creative central display that stems from a revolutionary concept. Designed like an amphitheater, with the intention of clarifying the perpetual calendar's indications, the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire's display is an incredible watchmaking feat. It overcomes numerous readability issues that are specific to the traditional approach to this complication, which requires the juxtaposition of twelve months, seven days, the date and the type of year in a diameter of just a few centimeters. Arranged three-dimensionally in concentric levels, the display of the perpetual calendar's functions is spread over the different levels: the day is indicated on the first. It is followed by the month on the second, which is itself surmounted by the date. Thin windows move along these tiers. The perpetual calendar's final function is indicated by a hand located on the back of watch and shows what type of year it is: a leap year or a normal year.

Consisting of gear trains, the construction of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch's movement is a watchmaking feat that solves all the functional and ergonomic problems connected with this type of complication. It breaks away from the design of traditional perpetual calendars and introduces an alternative that enables any risk of breakage to be anticipated, adjustment errors to be resolved and chronometry to be improved. Partially patented, the gear train system of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire's 9459 MC movement replaces the traditional lever and spring mechanisms with a gear train mechanism that substantially limits the risk of breakage when the watch is over-wound at inadvisable times. The traditional design of a perpetual calendar prohibits any manual correction several hours before and after midnight at the risk of breaking the mechanism. The adjustments made using four minuscule push-pieces on the side of the case are impractical and never clearly identified. This operating problem no longer exists with the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch's movement thanks to a setting system that uses the crown.
In addition to the traditional setting of the hour and minute, the crown also controls the date and month indicators. This ease of use is further increased by the possibility of correcting the functions both forwards and backwards. Wearers of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch need no longer fear going beyond the current date as this error is easily corrected.

The Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch houses at its heart a flying tourbillon: a complication that is emblematic of the Fine Watchmaking collection. The Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch is certified "Poinçon de Genève", in accordance with the new regulations' requirements. The self-winding calibre 9459 MC is assembled and adjusted in the new Cartier Fine Watchmaking workshops located in the heart of Geneva, upstairs from the Cartier boutique on the rue de Rhône. Its finishes were carried out according to the standards of the most prestigious watchmaking certification. Combining watchmaking innovation and technical creativity, the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire watch follows in the footsteps of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrorégulateur and Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon watches, thus taking its place as a major complication in Cartier's repertoire of watchmaking craftsmanship.

Technical Specifications of the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire

Case: platinum
Diameter: 45 mm
Crown: beaded in platinum, set with a blue sapphire cabochon
Crystal: sapphire
Case back: sapphire
Dial: silver-colored Bezel: platinum
Hands: sword-shaped blued-steel
Casing-up diameter: 45 mm
Case thickness: 15.1 mm
Strap: black alligator-skin
Clasp: double adjustable folding buckle in 18-carat white gold
Water-resistance: 30 meters / 3 bar / 100 feet
Movement: Manufacture mechanical with automatic winding, calibre 9459 MC, tourbillon and perpetual calendar with circular display, "Poinçon de Genève" certified timepiece
Casing-up diameter: 14 lines, i.e. 31.38 mm
Total diameter: 32 mm
Thickness: 8.1 mm
Number of jewels: 51
Number of parts: 382
Balance: 21,600 vibrations/hour
Power reserve: approx. 50 hours
Limited series of 100 numbered pieces.

For more info on Cartier click here.

Insider: Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon. Elegance in a Massive White Gold Case.

The other day we joined our friend and watchlifestyler Olivier for lunch. As usual, he surprised us with one of his daily beaters. This time, a Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon ref. W2020017. Yes, a true daily beater as you can appreciate on the macro pictures around the bezel.

In most people's minds, a tourbillon is a delicate watch that reflects elegance and should only be worn under the cuff of a bespoke shirt. However, the Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon is a massive top heavy tank that can be worn with anything —dressed up or down. This time our friend Olivier was wearing jeans and his favorite Bengal striped button down shirt.

The Cartier Santos 100 Flying Tourbillon Limited Edition watch comes with an extra large case measuring 46.5mm x 54.9mm x 16.5mm in 18K white gold and it's fitted with a rather small round sapphire crystal on the display case back. This watch is a serious complication in every sense of the word.

After perusing and wearing this watch throughout a three-hour lunch break, we can only conclude that this timepiece is a serious work of art from the dial to the flying tourbillon and everything in between.

The dial is openworked and composed of two layers. The first layer has roman numerals that have been cutout and the second layer is a slate grey galvanic guilloché plate. The tourbillon comes with a Cartier 'C' cage that rotates 60 turns every minute indicating the seconds. Rather than being supported by a bridge, or cock, at both the top and bottom, a flying tourbillon is cantilevered, being only supported from one side. 

The watch comes with a black alligator strap and a 18K gold double-deployant buckle. After wearing the watch for a few hours we can tell that while it's very heavy due to the precious metal that it's made of, it is very comfortable.

The beating heart inside this beauty is the manual winding calibre 9452 MC with flying tourbillon. Each movement is individually marked with the Geneva seal and individually numbered on the main bridge plate.

Sticker price $126,000. For more info click here.

Enjoy the video at the bottom to see it in action.

Insider: Cartier Santos 100 Skeleton. A Palladium Work of Art.

Cartier has always been known as the ultimate jeweler, however, we feel it's time to properly recognize their 'Haute Horlogerie' reputation. Louis Cartier created the Santos watch in 1904, sealing his friendship with the aviator Alberto Santos Dumont. The famous aviator's wish was granted: he could check the time while flying. The Cartier Santos 100 Skeleton in Palladium is one amazing timepiece and truly a work of art that has kept all of the iconic elements of the early Santos models.

This beautiful watch made in the rare lustrous silvery white metal discovered in 1803—Hublot, Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux are well known for the use of palladium within their collections— is fitted with the in-house Cartier caliber 9611 MC manual-winding movement that is individually numbered. This watch available in very limited quantities, took years to hunt down. After falling in love with this watch while reading a magazine, an authorized dealer was able to source one and it is now a daily beater that belongs to the superb collection of a very close friend and watchlifestyler. 

The extra large case on reference W2020018 measures 55mm x 46.5mm x 16.5mm making it massive and top heavy. The alligator strap is matte finished and very comfortable with its triple adjustment clasp. The skeleton dial/movement combo is just mesmerizing and carefully finished. Interacting with one of this watches in person is a very unique experience and to be quite honest, the pictures don't do fair justice to this timepiece.

The beautifully finished movement and the dial are one single piece where the roman numerals have been carved out from the bridges on the movement. All classic unmistakable Santos details are present. The iconic blue anodized hands, the eight screws on the bezel, the double folding deployant clasp with two screws in white gold and the heptagonal crown with its legendary faceted blue sapphire complete the equation.

In order for you to fully experience the beauty of this watch we included some macro shots that we are confident you will enjoy. Telling time on this watch is a joy but be careful no to fall under its spell as you might find yourself staring at it for hours. Sticker Price on this rarity: $58,000.

For more info on this watch click here.