SIHH 2017: Cartier’s New Luxury Watches

For the first time in Cartier’s history, they’ve created a skeleton watch with a mystery dial. This seems contradictory since a mystery dial can only stay a mystery so long as the public does not see how it actually works, and the purpose of a skeleton watch is to show the world the inner workings of a mechanical watch. Cartier has combined the two; however, they’ve managed to keep the mystery dial a mystery. The wearer can see the movement without seeing how the dial connects to the mechanism. 

The watch includes Cartier’s signature roman numerals and a cabochon sapphire crown. Larger than most dress watches, the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Hour is 42mm in diameter and 11.9mm thick. The palladium watch is situated on a black leather strap.

Cartier outdid themselves with this Minute Repeater Mysterious Double Tourbillon. The luxury watch features their patented mystery double tourbillon. The tourbillon completes its rotation in one minute and the sapphire disk in which it’s embedded completes its rotation in five minutes.

The watch also includes a minute repeater which is activated by a pusher at 4 o’clock. Unlike traditional skeleton watches, the minute repeater’s hammers and gongs are visible from the dial side. Typically these components are situated on the back side of the watch, i.e. the top plate. According to Cartier, this was done to optimize the quality and quantity of sound. So, when you activate the minute repeater, you’ll hear the best sound possible. 

Despite this being a double complication, Cartier managed to slim down the movement to make this 45mm watch only 11.15mm thick. The watch is offered in titanium, platinum with a diamond-set bezel, and platinum with pave diamond dial and bezel. However, each version is a limited edition; Cartier is creating 50 of the titanium, 30 of the platinum with a diamond-set bezel, and 20 of the platinum with pave diamond dial and bezel.      

The third and final watch from Cartier includes their iconic panther. The panther has been a part of the Cartier brand since the early 20th century when Jeanne Toussaint, a Cartier designer, introduced the panther into a series of designs.

The Panthere Joueuse de Cartier does not include traditional hands, instead it uses the diamond-set ball and panther to display the time. The panther and its ball rotate independently on separate disks. The panther and his paw chase the ball around the clock. The position of the ball shows the hour and the panther’s paw shows the minutes.

The watch is available in white gold with a diamond-paved bezel or in white gold with diamond-paved bezel, dial, and bracelet. This self-winding Cartier watch is 40mm wide and 12.05mm thick.