Watches & Wonders Novelties: Cartier

Today, the Watches & Wonders exhibition would have opened its doors in Geneva. However, due to the current worldwide pandemic, the fair cannot take place. But as it is more important than ever to stay connected, I am pleased to invite you to look at watchesandwonders.com, the new digital platform where you can experience the fine watchmaking universe all in one place. There you can discover the newest products, enjoy engaging and dynamic content and connect directly with the 30 participating Maisons.

During the next days, I will give you my own personal insight about the new launches and would love to start today with the House of CARTIER that have many beautiful watchmaking novelties for this year that are reunited by a global theme: the UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS.
The Maison has always encouraged the unexpected by combining shapes and ideas that were never intended to meet. This is Cartier’s unique style, the source from which all forms of creation begin. Unexpected encounters, a question of perspective, CARTIER’S SIGNATURE.

PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER
AVAILABLE IN APRIL 2020
THE PANTHER, THE MAISON’S EMBLEMATIC ANIMAL

Since its first abstract appearance in 1914, Cartier has reinterpreted the panther. From motif to material or volume, everything provides reason to go beyond the different crafts and techniques allowing new creative territories resulting from unexpected encounters.

THE PANTHER IN THE MÉTIERS D’ART
Left: RONDE LOUIS CARTIER WOOD AND GOLD MARQUETRY WATCH
Right: RONDE LOUIS CARTIER ENAMEL FILIGREE WATCH

Straw and gold marquetry and enamel filigree – this year, the artisans in La Chaux-de-Fonds reveal two new «Métiers d’Art» watches.

FINE WATCHMAKING PIECES
AVAILABLE FROM APRIL 2020

Mysterious skeleton, minute repeater mysterious double tourbillon, Grande complication: Cartier shines the spotlight its most beautiful complications.

MAILLON DE CARTIER
AVAILABLE MAY 2020
A WATCH, A STYLE, A TWIST

The Maillon de Cartier watch is firstly a jewel. A bracelet whose chain-links are offset by Cartier. The Maillon de Cartier collection is comprised of pieces in yellow gold, rose gold and white gold, with or without diamonds. It is completed by exceptional pieces issued in a limited edition numbered series. For more information, visit my previous post here.

SANTOS DE CARTIER
AVAILABLE FROM MAY 2020
A WATCH OF TODAY

The first modern men’s wristwatch created in 1904 by Louis Cartier, it made its mark both with a pure design incorporating a square bezel with visible screws.

THE SANTOS-DUMONT XL WATCH
The Santos-Dumont XL watch has been entirely reworked. Its history, the purity of its lines and the beauty of its mechanical movement with manual winding make it a watch for connoisseurs.

SANTOS DE CARTIER BLACK ANIMATION
The ADLC Santos de Cartier watch stands out and reveals a more technical face for this iconic watch.

PASHA DE CARTIER
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2020
A CULT WATCH SINCE ITS CREATION IN 1985.

An extrovert watch with an assertive graphic signature: a square inside a circle, four oversized Arabic numerals, the clous de Paris which accentuate the bracelet and the creative chained crown. With its distinctive codes and extraordinary design, the new Pasha watch is faithful to the original model but even more sophisticated.
Produced in steel, yellow gold, rose gold and set with diamonds, the Pasha de Cartier collection includes fine jewellery and fine watchmaking creations with skeleton versions.

CARTIER PRIVÉ
AVAILABLE DECEMBER 2020
THE NEW ASYMÉTRIQUE WATCH

Highlighting the design of the Maison’s legendary watches, CARTIER PRIVÉ has been releasing variations in numbered in limited and numbered series since 2015.

With its two horizontal shafts connected by two oblique ones, and its numerals off-set by 30° to the right, the presence of this new Tank Asymétrique, born in 1936, is striking on the wrist.
It is equipped with the Manufacture 1917 MC movement with manual winding. The Arabic numerals and their separating indexes have been redesigned.

The traditional watch is available in pink gold with a grey dial and strap, in yellow gold with a champagne dial and brown strap, and in platinum with a silver-coloured dial, ruby cabochon and grey strap. The made-to-measure straps are fitted with an ardillon buckle. Each aesthetic comes in a limited edition of 100 numbered pieces.

The skeleton watch comes in red gold on a brown or grey strap, in platinum on a blue or black strap, and in a gem-set platinum version on a black or glossy blue strap. Made to measure, these straps are fitted with an ardillon buckle, a rare option in Fine Watchmaking. A watch created in a limited series of 100 numbered pieces for each aesthetic.

So many beautiful launches ahead of us, so many amazing pieces that make us dream, especially during those troubled times. Stay tuned, more to come from Watches & Wonders.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cartier

SIHH 2018

Since many years, I have been invited to SIHH, which is the year’s first gathering of professionals in the watchmaking segment and I love going there. Held in January, it sets the tone for the twelve months to come as it rolls out the latest trends. By visiting the glamorous watch fair, you are not only treated to champagne, 5-star hotel accommodation (I stayed at the beautiful Four Seasons in Geneva), but only amazing events with tons of celebrities visiting the prestigious event. 2018 has been one of the fair’s most interesting yet with incredible watches being unveiled and new exhibitors presenting their novelties.

New to the fair is French luxury house Hermès who is showing at SIHH for the very first time.

CEO Piaget Chabi Nouri with me

Altogether there are 35 exhibitors with many newly on-board CEOs such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin and Piaget. The latter’s new CEO Chabi Nouri presented her fresh direction and won my vote for best booth at the fair. The beautiful tropical island themed decorations featured real lush palm tree embellishments, an indoor pool, and even a simulated skylight.

The brand’s new Altiplano Ultimate Concept, which is with only 2mm of exceptional horology the thinnest watch in the world, was one of the talking pieces of the fair. Personally speaking, I have fallen for Piaget‘s turquoise-colored Limelight Gala watch and some other favorites that you will find below:

LIMELIGHT GALA WATCH BY PIAGET
White gold, set with diamonds
Turquoise dial
Manufacture Piaget quartz movement 690P

PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER
Mini model
18k pink gold
Case set with brilliant-cut diamonds
Triple-loop bracelet

ROYAL OAK FROSTED GOLD SELFWINDING BY AUDEMARS PIGUET
Selfwinding manufacture calibre 3120
Centre seconds, date,
37mm, dial comes now in pink gold
18-carat pink gold

TONDA 1950 BY PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
PF702 ultra-thin automatic movement with micro rotor
48-hour power reserve
Hand-beveled bridges
18ct rose gold case
Available in stones dial and with diamond setting
Alligator strap

FIFTY-SIX COMPLETE CALENDAR BY VACHERON CONSTANTIN
Precision moon phase
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
18K pink gold
40 mm diameter, 11.6 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)
Alligator strap

The watches are getting smaller and so are the prices… many watchmakers are opting for less expensive models as Piaget launches for the first time watches in steel, as well as Jaeger-LeCoultre does for the so-called «Polaris» collection. Vacheron Constantin will be making a ladies line and Panerai is releasing a new range of 38mm timepieces, the smallest Panerai watches ever.

Roger Dubuis showed me a novelty for the ladies range that I have fallen in love with immediately but I am not allowed to talk about it until February…!

TONDA 1950 GALAXY by PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
PF702 ultra-thin automatic movement with platinum micro rotor
48-hour power reserve
Hand-beveled bridges
18ct gold case with diamond setting, 064ct
Blue Aventurine dial
Hermès alligator strap

The color to opt for is blue. There was not one booth that didn’t show a variety of azure, indigo, sky or cerulean. As there were so many, I decided to write a separate post about it which will be published soon…

Stay tuned! So much more to come!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht