03 cartier hypnose

WatchPro at SIHH: Cartier

Much has been made of Cartier’s new men’s watch collection, Drive, but if I’m being completely honest it left me a little cold. Its cushion-shaped case is a little ungainly while its dial quickly becomes crowded with addition of complications.

The introduction of steel models of the Cle de Cartier is sure to do more to quicken the pulse of Cartier retailers and customers alike.

Elsewhere Cartier’s watchmaking was skewed, as might be expected, towards the upper echelons of affordability. It unveiled a trio of high jewellery unique piece pendent watches headlined by the Tourbillon Mysterieux Azure with an extraordinary, detachable 26ct sapphire.

Cartier also unveiled an elegant new ladies collection, the Hypnose, which when uttered aloud with a French accent loses much of its elegance and must be one of the few words in existence to do so.

But the pinnacle of Cartier’s watchmaking endeavours over the last year must surely be its Rotonde de Cartier Astromysterieux, an achievement made possible by four wafer-thin sapphire crystals (there, I’ve ruined the mystery) but unlike other mysterious watches, Cartier’s sees the entire movement rotate around the central axis.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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