Pasha de Cartier
A funny question was posed to the Cartier team following the digital presentation of the new Pasha de Cartier chronograph: why does it feature a rotating bezel typically found on a dive watch rather than a tachymeter? But the person who asked the question had clearly missed the point of the Pasha altogether.
This timepiece was not created to be a tool watch; its purpose was not that of Omega’s CK2915-1 Speedmaster, which, when released in 1957, became the first watch with a tachymetric scale on its bezel that enabled the wearer to measure his average speed over one kilometer. Instead, the Pasha was born into the ’80s, characterized by a wild optimism and rapidly changing cultural tastes expressed by boldness and exuberance. It was envisioned by Gérald Genta at the behest of the brilliant then-CEO of Cartier, Alain Dominique Perrin, and was arguably the designer’s last truly masterful work of horological art. A full decade earlier, Perrin had already introduced the world to Cartier’s first integrated bracelet sports chic watch, the Santos. And he had a revised version — the curvaceous Santo Galbée — already waiting in the wings. The Pasha de Cartier was something different.
While it invoked the name of the Pasha of Marrakesh, who had commissioned a water-resistant watch from Cartier in 1943, in reality its name was chosen because Cartier realized that the word “Pasha” was immensely powerful. It resonated with onomatopoeic cool in all languages and conjured up images of exotic locales and mysterious, glamorous individuals. The Pasha was meant to be the ultimate expression of dégagé élan, and urbane sports cool. Wearing a Pasha showed that you were bold, sophisticated, adventurous and always perfectly chic. When it was released in 1985, its popularity spread like wildfire, and it quickly became the symbol of someone whose life was on a rapid, unwavering upward trajectory. But the power of the Pasha came from its use of different elements from the sports watch iconography to create an altogether new beast. It took a screw-down dust cover from WWI Trench watches and a rotating bezel that first appeared in watches in the 1950s, and used them both in a time-bending act of design magic. This is the uniqueness of Cartier and the Pasha — to be able to quote at will from horology’s vast canon and combine seemingly disparate style elements, always in the pursuit of the ultimate expression of elegance. To say that the Cartier de Pasha chronograph needs a tachymeter is to miss the point that the Pasha is an expression of Cartier’s transcendent, immutable style and not a simple tool watch.
The new Pasha de Cartier chronograph watch is based on a ’90s Pasha Seatimer Chronograph — specifically, the reference W31030H3, a stunning stainless steel watch measuring 38mm in diameter. It features a silver dial with a circular guilloché pattern emanating from the center of the dial. This pattern is broken by a very cool rectangular frame reminiscent of the minute track in watches like the Tank de Cartier. The dial features an Arabic numeral “12” marker. Unlike many other Pasha models that feature oval-shaped subdials, this reference featured circular subdials. It had massive oversized pushers capped with blue cabochons matching the stone found in the crown’s dust cap — and, yes, it very prominently features a rotating bezel that you can actually use for diving if you really wanted to. Indeed, the idea of looking over at your dive buddy, only to realize he or she is rocking a solid yellow gold Pasha Chronograph at 30m underwater, is both hilarious and cool. The point is, there is a luminous pearl in the bezel, and the watch featured luminous sword hands and applied luminous dots.
The new watch, however, while taking inspiration from the Pasha Seatimer Chronograph, is an altogether different animal. It is 41mm in diameter, which sits perfectly on my wrist. More importantly, it is replete with massive elevations in quality and subtle improvements in design. First, the rotating bezel is one of the smoothest I’ve experienced. Turning it is an experience I equate with closing the door of a really good car — it provides just the right amount of spring tension before yielding to pressure, and then glides into action. On the subject of action, the chronograph start/stop and reset is perfect on this watch, thanks to Cartier’s use of the in-house column wheel-activated, vertical clutch caliber 1904-CH made in Richemont’s Val Fleurier facility. In the same way that turning the bezel is such a pleasure, activating the chronograph is also a wonderfully tactile experience. While the dial of the new chronograph takes its design inspiration from the vintage Seatimer Chronograph, the quality of the finish is much improved with the guilloché pattern in much sharper and finer relief. Similarly, the subdials are sunken to create a much greater sense of depth.
But the real master stroke here is the way luminous material has been applied to the indices. At first glance, the indices appear to be black rhodium-treated applied elements characterized by beautifully stylized “12” and simple baton markers for the rest. There is the presence of a curious inverted triangle at 12 o’clock, which gives a dramatic effect to the design. But what Cartier has done is to actually fill all of these indices with black luminous material, so that in the darkness you realize that they actually glow. But wait a second, you say, because black Super-LumiNova is notorious for having relatively low light emission. And this is definitely true. Anyway, you say, the hands are flame-blued steel, so it would be impossible to read them at night. Normally you’d be right. However, what Cartier has done is to place an entire circle of white Super-LumiNova, which has the highest light emission, into the flange of the bezel that surrounds the dial. In the darkness, this added luminous element acts to cast light on the entire dial, so you’ll be able to read the hands with total clarity. Genius! This is Cartier at its very best, creating unexpected design elements to surprise and delight you, and it adds a charge of modernism to a timeless icon.
The Pasha de Cartier Chronograph is offered in a steel model with a steel bracelet that can easily be swapped out for a leather strap using Cartier’s QuickSwitch mechanism. It is also offered in a magnificent yellow gold version that comes on a leather strap, which is totally extroverted in its appeal, but I love it.
Also joining the Pasha family is a new 30mm quartz version of the watch in steel and one in rose gold. Not to be overlooked are a series of brilliant diamond-set Pasha watches featuring a skeletonized Panther motif in the dial, and which feature a mechanical 9625 MC movement and measure 41mm in diameter.
Cloche de Cartier
The Privé collection is, in essence, an extension of the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP) that ran from 1998 to 2008, and focused on reviving and renewing Cartier’s most iconic shaped watches. Since it was initiated in 2015, beginning with the legendary Crash watch, it has had an unmitigated runaway balls-to-the-wall success, with many of the watches from this family amongst the most sought-after timepieces around, such as the equally legendary Tank Cintrée from 2017, reviving the luscious Tonneau in 2019, and the wonderful Tank Ásymetrique it brought back in 2020. And so each year, speculation begins to build around which famous model Cartier will bring back next. (The day when they announce the return of the Tank à Guichet will be the day the Internet explodes — such is the avarice for this stunning jump hours, dragging minutes watch.)
This year, Cartier has chosen to reintroduce to us one of my favorite watches, the Cloche. “Cloche” in French means “bell”, and that is exactly the shape that this inventive timepiece takes with the particularity that the dial is oriented, so that 12 o’clock is in line with the crown. This means that when you take the watch off, you can refasten the buckle and use it as a desk clock. It is one of the prettiest and most inventive of Louis Cartier’s many creations, and I have been enamored with the shape ever since I saw the 2007 CPCP edition.
The very first Cloche was in the form of a watch brooch created in 1920. This was followed by a Cloche wristwatch created in platinum with diamonds in 1921, and then in yellow gold on a leather strap in 1922. Several models of the Cloche were made from 1920 and 1970, and Cartier owns a few examples of these. The ’80s saw the return of the Cloche combined with quartz movements.
In 1995, Cartier created a 200-piece series of Cloche watches with Arabic indices, Breguet hands and yellow gold cases. Importantly, these watches featured mechanical movements. Then in 2007, a series of 100 Cloche watches was created for the CPCP collection. This year, the classic Cloche comes in three different metals: rose gold with a sunray effect gray dial; yellow gold with a sunray effect champagne dial; and platinum with an ivory matte dial. The gold watches have sword hands matching their case material for the gold watches; and the platinum watches feature flame-blued hands. All three variations feature Roman indices and a bell-shaped minute track. As with the 2007 version, you can take off the watch, fasten its buckle and use it as a desk clock.
This year, the Cloche also comes in three skeletonized versions — in pink gold, platinum, and platinum with diamonds — where the bridges of the movement also serve as the stylized indices — specifically, the Roman “12”, “3”, “6” and “9” of the normal version. I find these very charming and have always appreciated it when technical innovation serves an aesthetic function.
Santos-Dumont
Every time someone asks me what dress watch to buy, my auto-pilot kicks in and I reply: the Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wind in steel. It’s a handsome watch that takes all of Santos-Dumont’s legendary elegance and offers it up in a big, bold, yet slim format — thanks to the Piaget ultra-thin manual-winding 430P caliber within. And, quite honestly, at under EUR6,000 for the steel model, I consider it a strong value proposition.
Of course, Cartier has come up with some great special edition variations of the Santos-Dumont, including several iterations dedicated to Alberto Santos-Dumont’s most famous aircrafts released last year. Clearly, those were so well received that Cartier has decided to further extend the Santos-Dumont family this year.
There’s a platinum model with a lovely blue dial and a ruby cabochon, with a sort of propeller-patterned guilloché at the center that contains the watch’s famous inner rectangular track. This watch is limited to 100 pieces. There’s also a steel and pink gold watch with a salmon dial, red minute track and the same decorative pattern at the center of the dial, and it is limited to 500 pieces. Both watches are dedicated to Santos-Dumont’s flying machines: the “guide-rope maritime” and the no. 19, respectively.
Santos de Cartier
The current Santos de Cartier is one of the best versions of the watch ever produced. It is, in essence, a revival of the Santos Galbée, but updated and modernized in size. For me, the medium model, measuring 41.9mm by 35.1mm, is the one that occupies the dimensional sweet spot on the wrist. This year, Cartier has introduced three new versions with diamond-set bezels: a classic steel model with a silver dial; a stunning steel model with a gorgeous blue sunray effect dial; and, last but not least, a highly appealing steel and yellow gold model with a champagne dial. All three feature the self-winding caliber 1847 MC.
With gem-set watches now appearing on both female and male wrists, especially with the younger generation, I think the new Santos will resonate with them. Cartier has intelligently “iced out” the Santos watches in a way that younger men really respond to, and they have done so with all the integrity of the maison in terms of quality, and offer remarkable value priced at USD 8,350. While checking these watches out, I asked myself if I would wear them, and the answer was, absolutely, I would — especially the blue-dialed model.
Ballon Bleu de Cartier
The Ballon Bleu is an enduring model and proof positive that Cartier has successfully added new creations to its impressive litany of classic shapes. The news here is that the Ballon Bleu is now offered in a new 40mm diameter case size, powered by the self-winding caliber 1847 MC. Previously, the automatic version of this watch was only offered in 42mm and 36mm. There was a single 40mm reference, but that was a manual-winding watch. Personally, I think of the Ballon Bleu as more of a women’s model, but women are now wearing larger watches, and many men are wearing smaller ones, so the move to 40mm is smart.
Fine Watchmaking
A decade or so ago, Cartier pushed into complications and even grand complications, thanks to the technical brilliance of then-Movements Director, Carole Forestier-Kasapi. However, the resulting watches had mixed success. Basically, everyone was impressed by the sheer technical virtuosity of the movements, but the resulting watches were too large and deviated too much from the idea of beautiful, shaped timepieces, which is Cartier’s true and unrivaled legacy. When Cyrille Vigneron took charge of the maison, he returned Cartier precisely and perfectly to its mastery of elegance. So the question was, of course, if any of the technical achievements of the recent past belonged in any of the contemporary Cartier watches. For Vigneron, the answer was simple, “At Cartier, technical achievement must serve the needs of design and beauty.”
As if to demonstrate this, Cartier has launched three “mysterious” high complications. Each of these is connected to Cartier’s design heritage, in particular, their mystery clocks. These were the invention of Cartier watchmaker Maurice Couët, who was inspired by the illusions of magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin to create clocks with hands that seemed to float in space.
The first of these timepieces is the Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux, which features a movement seemingly suspended in space along with the watch’s hour and minute hands. The balance wheel of the movement completes a full rotation around the perimeter of the dial, making it a kind of one-minute tourbillon or carousel. The second timepiece, the Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon, features two rotational axes for the balance wheel. The first is the same as that in the previous watch, but now it also rotates once a minute on its own axis, making a double tourbillon rotating on the first axis every hour.
The last of these watches is the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon. Here you have a flying tourbillon seeming to float in space, rotating once on its own axis every minute and then on a second axis where it seems to travel around the perimeter of the large open circle in space that it is mounted on every five minutes. All three watches are 47mm in diameter, making them not so much traditional wristwatches, but time-telling works of kinetic art.
That said, the real stars of the Fine Watchmaking family are the delightfully precious mini Panthère Mystery Clocks in yellow, pink and blue. These measure just over 10cm in height and 7.5cm in width, and each is a unique piece.
Cartier Libre
Rounding off these already tremendous offerings from Cartier is a collection of watches called Cartier Libre that I have a lot of affection for. The collection unites Cartier’s iconic shapes with an extremely creative use of métiers d’art to transform dials, cases and bracelets into true works of art.
Tech Specs
Pasha de Cartier Watch
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 1904-CH MC; 47-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds; date; chronograph
Case: 41mm; 18K yellow gold or steel
Strap: Interchangeable QuickSwitch navy blue or gray alligator leather; steel bracelet option for steel case only
Price: USD 23100 for the yellow gold model and USD 9,450 for the steel model
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 9625 MC; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 41mm; 18K rhodium-finish white gold with diamonds
Strap: 18K white-gold bracelet with diamonds
Price & Availability: Numbered limited edition of 10; Price on request
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 9625 MC; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 41mm; 18K rhodium-finish white gold, or 18K yellow gold
Strap: Alligator leather
Price: On request
Cloche de Cartier
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 1917 MC; 38-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 37.15mm x 28.75mm; 18K yellow or pink gold, or platinum
Strap: Alligator leather
Price and Availability: Numbered limited edition of 100 in each case variation; USD 27,500 for the yellow gold version; USD 27,500 for pink gold and USD 31,100 for the platinum version
Cloche de Cartier (Skeleton)
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 9626 MC; 38-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 37.15mm x 28.75mm; 18K pink gold, platinum, or platinum set with 107 brilliant-cut diamonds
Strap: Alligator leather
Price and Availability: Numbered limited edition of 50 in 18K pink gold or platinum; numbered limited edition of 20 in platinum with diamonds. USD 69,500 for the platinum model; USD 61,00 for the pink gold model.
Santos de Cartier Watch
Movement: Self-winding caliber 1847 MC; 40-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Case: 41.9mm x 35.1mm; steel, or 18K yellow gold and steel, both with diamond-set bezel
Strap: Interchangeable QuickSwitch alligator or calf strap, and steel bracelet
Santos-Dumont Watch
Movement: Self-winding caliber 430 MC; 38-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 46.6mm x 33.9mm; platinum, or 18K pink gold and steel
Strap: Alligator leather
Price and Availability: Platinum — limited and numbered edition of 100; 18K pink gold and steel — limited edition of 500 USD 31,000 for the platinum model; USD 8,350 for the pink gold and steel model
Ballon Bleu de Cartier Watch
Movement: Self-winding caliber 1847 MC; 40-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case: 40mm; 18K pink gold, 18K pink gold with diamonds or steel
Strap: Interchangeable brown or black alligator strap, or 18K pink gold or steel bracelet
Price: Starting from USD 5,750 for the steel model, going up to USD 40,600 for the pink gold model with diamonds offered on a bracelet.
Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux Watch
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 9462 MC; 55-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; tourbillon
Case: 43.5mm; platinum
Strap: Blue alligator leather
Availability: Numbered limited edition of 5; Price on request
Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Astrotourbillon Watch
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 9461 MC; 48-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; tourbillon
Case: 47mm; platinum
Strap: Blue alligator leather
Availability: Numbered limited edition of 5; Price on request
Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Skeleton Double Tourbillon Watch
Movement: Manual-winding caliber 9565 MC; 52-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; double flying tourbillon
Case: 45mm; platinum
Strap: Green alligator leather
Availability: Numbered limited edition of 5; Price on request
Cartier Libre Baignoire Turtle Watch
Movement: Quartz
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 32.39mm x 25.47mm; 18K rhodium-finish white gold with 171 brilliant-cut diamonds
Strap: Navy blue alligator leather
Price: NA
Availability: Numbered limited edition of 50; Price on request
Cartier Libre Tortue Snake Watch
Movement: Manual-winding mechanical caliber 430 MC; 38-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 31mm x 39mm; 18K rhodium-finish white gold with 130 brilliant-cut diamonds
Strap: Black alligator leather
Availability: Numbered limited edition of 50; Price on request
