Cartier’s Watches & Wonders releases have just dropped, and the brand’s seemingly unstoppable streak of creating truly excellent watches at both the more accessible and the higher end of the spectrum, and this year is no different. There’s the stunning new Privé Tortue, astonishing high jewellery takes on the animal themes and smart updates to the Santos de Cartier and Santos-Dumont that will tick all the boxes amongst Cartier faithful. Of course, this critical regard has also resulted in commercial success — earlier this year Morgan Stanley reported that Cartier, along with Rolex, Patek Philippe and Omega, accounted for just over 50% of Swiss watch sales, and based on this year’s releases, it’s easy to see why they’re at the top of the pile.

The first cab off the rank and the watch that everyone will be talking about is the eighth instalment in Cartier’s Privé collection, a celebration of technique in service to aesthetics. This year, the Tortue is one of the older shapes in the Maison’s archive that’s under the spotlight.

First created in 1912, the Tortue is an exploration of the interplay between curves and taut lines, and the resulting watch is a pleasing tonneau which resembles the curved shell of the tortoise, inspiring the name. In 2024, the Tortue has been refined, with a slimmer profile and lugs that stretch along the strap. It’s being offered in three hours and minutes models and two monopusher chronograph versions.

The time-only model is offered in platinum and yellow gold — each limited to 200 pieces, measuring 41.4mm tall by 32.9mm across, and a slender 7.2mm. The yellow gold model has a grained gold finish dial with gold-tone steel apple-shaped hands on a blue alligator strap. The platinum model follows the same design, with Roman numerals and a chemin de fer track that follows the curve of the case beautifully. What makes the platinum model distinct, besides the ruby cabochon on the crown, is the tone-on-tone silver dial with rhodium numerals. If you like the platinum, but are feeling a little extra, there’s a diamond-set version, which adds just over 2 carats of brilliant-cut stones to the case. This model is limited to 50 pieces. All three versions are powered by the manual calibre 430 MC

The stunning Cartier Privé Tortue Monopossoir Chronograph is a nod not just to Cartier’s first-ever chronograph but also to a coveted CPCP release. This model is a little larger than the time-only version: 43.7mm x 34.8mm and 10.2mm thick. Again, it’s offered in platinum and yellow gold, each in 200 numbered pieces. Into the design of this dial, Cartier has added more shapes — the round dial design with inset round sub-registers, very in keeping with the original Cartier monopusher chronograph from 1928.

Movement: Mechanical movement with manual winding 430 MC
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: Yellow gold, platinum or platinum and diamonds, 41.4 mm x 32.9 mm, thickness 7.2 mm.
Dial: Gold finish dial or silvered opaline dial to match case material
Strap: Semi-matte blue alligator leather strap, with yellow gold buckle or burgundy red alligator leather interchangeable strap with platinum buckle
Availability: Diamond-set platinum limited to 50 pieces, gold and platinum models limited to 200 pieces each

Movement: Mechanical movement with manual winding 1928 MC, open case back.
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds chronograph
Case: Yellow gold or platinum, 43.7 mm x 34.8 mm, thickness 10.2 mm.
Dial: Gold finish dial or silvered opaline dial to match case material
Strap: Semi-matte blue alligator leather strap, with yellow gold buckle or burgundy red alligator leather interchangeable strap with platinum buckle
Availability: Each model limited to 200 pieces

Over on the sporty Santos de Cartier collection, there’s four new releases. A pair of Large and Medium models, steel cases with a new finely graduated brown dial, with a vibrant sunray brush finish, offered on a steel bracelet with a brown leather strap in the mix as well. Then there’s a pleasing yellow and steel gold model with a satin-finish anthracite dial which looks dramatic when paired with the rhodium-finished dial hardware.

The big new release, though, is the new Santos de Cartier Dual Time, a large steel automatic, with a travel-friendly dual time display at the six o’clock position. This display has been well integrated into the refined Cartier design language, with the secondary hours nested in a finely snailed subdial and a minimalist day/night indicator quietly nested between the dual time indicator and the central hour stack. The addition of a second time zone is a big deal for the Santos de Cartier, and one perfectly in keeping with its personality as a sporty all-rounder.

Movement: Automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, second hour indicator, day/night indicator
Case: Steel, Large model 40.2 x 47.5 mm, 10.1mm thick, water-resistant to 100M
Dial: Satin-finish anthracite grey sunray-brushed dial
Strap: Steel bracelet and anthracite alligator leather strap

Movement: Automatic 1847 MC Calibre
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case: Yellow gold and steel case, Large model 39.8 x 47.5 mm, 9.4mm thick
Dial: Satin-finish anthracite grey sunray-brushed dial
Strap: Steel bracelet and anthracite grey alligator leather strap

Movement: Automatic 1847 MC Calibre
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date on Large, Hours, minutes, seconds on medium
Case: Steel, Large model 39.8 x 47.5 mm, 9.4mm thick, Medium model: 35.1 x 41.9 mm, 8.8mm thick
Dial: satin-finish graduated brown sunray-brushed dial
Strap: Steel bracelet and brown alligator leather strap

There’s lots to like in the more slender world of the Santos-Dumont too. First of all, there’s a colourful trilogy of pieces in olive green, blue peacock and taupe grey, with cases in platinum, rose gold and yellow gold, respectively. The translucent lacquer, as always, does an incredible job elevating the finish and finesse of these already elegant watches, which see the colour move beyond the dial and onto the top of the case, and the screw-down arched frame surrounding the dial. The fact that Cartier has opted to favour Arabic numerals in lieu of traditional Romans is another point that makes these models. All will be in hot demand, but the green is limited to 200 pieces and will be especially coveted.

Another in-demand option is the Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind, a watch that certainly lives up to the industry nomenclature of ‘novelty’. At first glance, it might seem like a ‘regular’ Santos-Dumont, albeit one with a vivid red carnelian dial. This gorgeous hard-stone dial is remarkable enough, but look closer, and the truly unconventional nature of this Cartier makes itself known. Simply put, it runs backwards. The movement is the manual 230 MC, with inverted rotation. We can’t say how long it would take to get used to the hands going the wrong way around the dial, but we’re sure that this unique approach, paired with the stone dial and platinum case, makes this watch all kinds of right. Limited to 200 pieces, this watch will be hot property.

Movement: Mechanical movement with inverted rotation and manual winding 230 MC
Functions: Hours and minutes (inverted)
Case: Platinum, Large model 31.5 x 43.5 mm, 7.3mm thick
Dial: Carnelian dial
Strap: Semi-matte brown alligator leather strap with platinum ardillon buckle
Availability: Limited to 200 numbered pieces

Movement: Manual winding 230 MC
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: Platinum, yellow or rose gold, 31.5 x 43.5 mm, 7.3mm thick
Dial: Green, grey or blue, depending on model
Strap: Green, grey or blue semi-matte alligator, depending on model
Availability: Green model limited to 200 numbered pieces

On the more jewelled side of Cartier’s offerings, the Reflection de Cartier follows the path of conceptual lines like the Clash (Un)limited and the Coussin de Cartier. These sculptural shapes explore and express the Maison’s endless fascination with magic, mystery and illusion. The result this time around is Reflection de Cartier, an open bracelet defined by bold geometry, with strong angles and an open design. The collection earns its name from the two terminal points of this bracelet. One is set with a delicate dial, protected by a bezelled crystal is in and of itself a discreet time-telling tool. But it’s in the highly polished surface opposite that’s where the magic happens. This reflective surface shows an inverted reflection of the dial, a charming play on the ephemeral and transient nature of time itself.

Cartier has created five versions of the Reflection de Cartier; yellow gold and rose gold options, as well as fully diamond set white gold, and two additional white gold models set with diamonds and a range of stones that offer chromatic harmony. One in blue and green is set with chrysophase, obsidian, emerald, Paraiba tourmaline and blue green lacquer. The other features opal, amethysts, spessartite garnet and tiger’s eye inserts.

Movement: Quartz
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: Various materials and finishes, 18.4 x 17.5 mm, thickness 8.9mm

Finally, Cartier’s latest jewellery watch collection explores some of the Maison’s favourite fauna this year. Panthers, tigers and crocodiles envelope the wrist in Cartier’s typically opulant style. There’s a trio of Animal Jewellery Watches, with a sculptural case that depicts an intertwined zebra and crocodile in an ouruboros-like oval, realised precious stones and fine lacquer. There’s version in rose gold with rubies, white gold with tsavorite garnets and yellow gold and black spinels.

Beyond that, there’s a further trio of bracelet watches, where a panther, a crocodile and a tiger bite down on the fine round dial that flows seamlessly into the heavily set, sinuous bracelets, styled to evoke the spots, stripes or scales of the Maison’s totemic animals. To round out this high jewellery collection, there’s a quartet of watches, three with slender leather bands and one with a fully set bracelet, that see sculptural animals (three crocodiles and a panther) form the outer case of a traditional round watch, where the stone setting of the case flows seamlessly into the finish of the dial. The highlight here has to be the white gold Panther, with a complex dial set with a mosaic of rhodolite garnets, spessartite garnets, onyx, yellow and white brilliant-cut diamonds and an enamel motif. Much like the animals they represent, these exceptional pieces are rarely seen in the wild, but they make a definitive statement about Cartier’s skill as both a jeweller and a watchmaker.Beyond that, there’s a further trio of bracelet watches, where a panther, a crocodile and a tiger bite down on the fine round dial that flows seamlessly into the heavily set, sinuous bracelets, styled to evoke the spots, stripes or scales of the Maison’s totemic animals. To round out this high jewellery collection, there’s a quartet of watches, three with slender leather bands and one with a fully set bracelet, that see sculptural animals (three crocodiles and a panther) form the outer case of a traditional round watch, where the stone setting of the case flows seamlessly into the finish of the dial. The highlight here has to be the white gold Panther, with a complex dial set with a mosaic of rhodolite garnets, spessartite garnets, onyx, yellow and white brilliant-cut diamonds and an enamel motif. Much like the animals they represent, these exceptional pieces are rarely seen in the wild, but they make a definitive statement about Cartier’s skill as both a jeweller and a watchmaker.