SIHH 2015: Cle de Cartier

The Cle de Cartier (Cle - French for key) is one of the nicest, cleanest designs I've seen from Cartier since the Santos Dumont. I believe the jury is still out of the use of the "key" rather than the "Crown" but given their whole line is named after said key, I'm sure their R&D department has thoroughly tested the idea to make sure it works in everyday situations. But then again, not everyone wears a different watch everyday and given that it's an automatic, I suppose you set it once and off you go. no need to touch the key again till the shorter months where you'll need it to advance the date. Plus, I'm sure the target market for this watch will have some sort of watch winder at home. whether that be an actual mechanical devise or someone you pay to wind the watch for ya.

I like these oval shaped cases. A nice through back to the sixties and seventies where these sort of cases were all the rage. Omega (Constellation, Seamaster) and IWC (Yacht Club) comes to mind immediately. It's a shape that's worked extremely well in the past I don't see why it won't work again today. It's distinctively Cartier, thanks to the Roman numeral hour markers and the blue sapphire used on the crown, sorry, key. Perfectly balanced and retains the classic Cartier elegance and design elements that we are so accustomed to.

Bravo.

Top 10 Best Swiss/German Square Watches

Top 10 Swiss/German Square watches and other honourable mentions.


When is a square not a square? When lazy hacks who couldn't even be bothered doing a google image search and decides that tonneau shape, rectangle and cushion are close enough. Try explaining that one to your kindergarten teacher and see where that gets you. You're NOT going to fit a rectangular peg into a square hole no matter how hard you push. So here we go. We at the Tarts spend a little more time on google, and find you the top 10 best square watches that are ALSO powered by a mechanical movement, and are either Swiss/German made. (Yes again I know the Japanese make some really nice square mechanical/quartz watches too but you know, that would be a very broad range and simply make this list a little too easy and a little too meaningless.)

Plus, as an added bonus, we are covering a broad range of price points and styles (and yet still remaining perfectly square) so there is a watch for every budget/style. In fact, we are feeling so generous that we are giving you a list of 15 (more like 20 but we'll get to that) because some watches may be a little difficult to come by and others maybe no longer be available brand new from an authorised retailer. Plus some we included cuz we like 'em. Here we go. In no particular order, it's hip to be square!! (Yes we know it's an overused cliche phrase…)


Cartier Santos Dumont 35mm

Santos Dumont, an aviator, was a good friend of Louis Cartier and in 1904, Santos Dumont was presented with what seems to be the 'first' wristwatch made especially for men, as it was quite difficult to keep track of time using a pocket watch when both hands are needed to fly a plane. Say what you will about Cartier being a "jeweller" but they have a long history in wristwatches. The Cartier Santos Dumont is one of my favourites powered by a Piaget manual wind movement. Thin, elegant, unpretentious and unmistakably Cartier.

Bell and Ross BR01-92 46mm

Also inspired by aviation (flight deck instrument, in this case) this is quite possibly the antithesis of the Santos Dumont (in terms of square aviation themed watches). Loud, big and in your face, it literally feels like you've strapped on the actual instrument to your wrist. And that's what I love about it. The basic BR01-92 is the pick. Clean and highly legible, it wears really well (believe it or not) due to the relative thinness of the watch.


Franck Muller Master Square 36.5mm

If you must have a Franck Muller and you don't want to be seen as a tonneau-shaped sheep, this is the watch for you. The watch features the classic Franck Muller arabic numerals (or if you prefer a Cartier on steroids look, it also comes with Roman numerals). The whole case is actually curved in profile to hug your wrist, meaning again, the watch is very comfortable and wears extremely well.

TAG Heuer Monaco 38mm

Originally introduced by Heuer in 1969 in honour of the Monaco Grand Prix, it was made famous by Steve McQueen when he wore it for the film Le Mans in 1971. So famous in fact TAG Heuer is still using Steve in advertisement - I mean, wouldn't you? Steve McQueen is, like, the epitome of cool. And if a cool guy like Steve wears the Monaco, that means I'll be able to bask in the reflected glory when I wear the same watch. All jokes aside, it is a classic and the watch has not changed since it first appeared (not many watches can claim that).

Nomos Tetra 30mm

At 30mm this is getting close to a midsize. Yes, square watches do wear bigger, but this is more for those who appreciates a time when wristwatches weren't so bold. Even so, the Tetra is very modern in its simplicity. Bauhaus style with a dial that's uncluttered, powered by an inhouse movement, you could do so much worse than this. And by wearing this watch you're quietly confident and you obviously do not need to over compensate for anything. It's also the only watch on this list that is made in Germany. Read into this anyway you like.

These next two seems to have been inspired by the same watch and the same year! However they vary quite differently in price point and execution.

Vacheron Constantin Historiques 1968 35mm
Longines Heritage 1968 33mm

The Vacheron is an ultra thin automatic watch powered by the thinnest full rotor automatic movements. The VC Calibre 1120 was designed by Jaeger-LeCoultre for use exclusively by Vacheron, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe. The movement is a mere 2.45mm thin, therefore the whole case can also be made extremely thin (at a svelte 5.4mm). The Longines on the other hand has no such luxury when it comes to thin movements. That's not to say it doesn't have a relatively thin movement to borrow from sister company ETA. The 2892-A2 is one of the thinnest automatic movements around, plus you get a date function! Other than that it's a touch smaller compared to the Vacheron. Both are elegant and resolutely square and you can't go wrong with either if you happen to be born in 1968, or if 1968 happens to be a significant year for you.


Omega Deville X2 35mm discontinued

This is a strange one and one that didn't do too well when it was available new. For some reason I like it and one of the reasons why most people hate it is the reason I like it - the mixed use of Roman and Arabic numerals. Case is based on a historical Omega and there were a few different variations of dials/complications that can be had with this model. It is an through-and-through Omega so the quality is there. And because of its unpopularity you could pick up one on the cheap somewhere...

Louis Erard La Carree Chrono 39mm

Louis Erard is known for their extremely good value for money, given they're Swiss made, and runs reliable workhorse movements. I could not believe my eyes that the chrono here can be had for around 600 Euro! A well made, Swiss automatic chronograph (Valjoux 7750 from the looks of it) for this sort of price is a bargain! Now I have a feeling that this one might also be discontinued but it's easy enough to find online. Hmmm I think I may have just sold myself on this...


Hamilton Jazz Master Square Chrono 40mm (38.5mm for time only)

This one seems like it's also discontinued, but I'm sure these models can still be found if one uses Google. Hamilton, like Louis Erard makes extremely great value watches. One advantage that Hamilton has over Louis Erard is that it's part of the enormous Swatch Group, meaning they have access to movements galore and much better economies of scale, hence their extremely competitive price point for the watches you get. I'm a big fan of some of the models out of the Jazz Master range and I didn't realise they had a square version till I was googling for watches for this post.

Because I'm feeling generous here are five more square watches. (I realise that some of the watch on this list are discontinued, meaning for those who prefer the security of buying new from authorised retailers will have less choices overall.)

Piaget Altiplano Square 33mm

This piece is discontinued, but again, thanks to the internet, I'm sure one can be tracked down without too much hassle. Like most ultra thin Piaget watches, this one is elegant, classy and dressy, and has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. Piaget makes beautiful watches and as they are proper watchmakers, with gorgeous inhouse movements to boot. If you ever need a watch for a black tie event, but something that won't clash with others at the shindig, this would be it. I did mention that it was thin right? At 4.5mm, this is one of the thinnest mechanical watches around.


Hermes Carre H 36.5mm

Don't listen to anyone who tells you Hermes are only good for bags. They have a long history in watchmaking, although they may not have had invested much in their watch division at times. This piece is a limited edition, and completely sold out. This piece was designed by French architect Marc Berthier, and limited to just 173 pieces. The watch is powered by the Girard-Perregaux caliber GP3200 movement. I'm sure if you do manage to find one, you'll have to pay above the retail price of around US$15k


The Ralph Lauren Slim Classique 27.5mm

I'm going to quote a sales blurb: "The Ralph Lauren Slim Classique collection represents modern watchmaking with classical, slender proportions that recall a bygone era." Right. at 27.5mm, I'm going to call this a lady's watch. As much as I like my Ralph Lauren, I really cannot see the value in the watches though, Yes I know they're well made and this one probably runs a Piaget movement, but...


Fortis Square Automatic Day-Date/Chronograph 39mm

I'm kicking myself for not buying this when I had the chance. (yes, had the chance but not the money!) It's a chunky watch, but it's anything but imposing. It looks great, has substance and it's not expensive. I prefer the day-date version over the chronograph because of the cleaner dial and I think the styling worked better in the Louis Erard compared to the Fortis, given it's the same movement. at 39mm, it's a good, solid size.


Ventura V-Matic Ego Square 37mm

Here's one from the recent past. I've always appreciated Ventura's styling. Very digital sci-fi and spacey, but running very traditional mechanical movements. The V-Matic Ego Squre is from the early 2000s, and in time it'll probably look quite retro-futuristic.

So all up you have almost 20 properly square watches (due to the time only/chronograph variations in the same style case, or different dial layouts). They do wear quite differently to round, cushion shaped or even rectangular watches, so like always, try it on first if you can!


Oh... and if you have kids who are into Thomas the Tank Engine....

The Quest For Thinness Part 2: The Minute Repeater Strikes Back

It is very entertaining observing the intra-company sibling rivalry that doesn't seem to stop. Round 2 involves the same 3 siblings of the Richemont group: Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin. Piaget as you might know wanted to hold the record for everything thinness category there is in the world of haute horlogerie. And they did have all the records (thinnest automatic, thinnest mechanical, thinnest minute repeater, etc) until Vacheron decided to spoil things by introducing the thinnest minute repeater watch late in 2013, pushing the total height down to a mere 8.09mm (compared to Piaget's 9.4mm in the Piaget Emperador Coussin XL, which was released in early 2013).

JLC, still reeling from having their thinnest mechanical watch record wrenched away by Piaget after such a short period decided that there is nothing like the sweet revenge of beating them at their own game (and dealing a double blow to Vacheron at the same time) and launched not only the world's thinnest minute repeater watch, but one with a flying tourbillon/flying balance AND a peripheral winding system to boot! Just as the thickness of the thinnest manual wind watch dropped quite significantly (in terms of percentages) the thickness of the ultra thin minute repeater watch dropped from 9.4mm to 7.9mm in just under 12 months. Sure is amazing what intra-group competition can do!

(Yes I realise that it takes far longer than mere months to plan/design/engineer/manufacture such amazing feats of craftsmanship and oneupsmanship but it makes for a much more entertaining read to pretend as if all this has just happened in real time)

I guess Vacheron can console themselves at still owning the record of the thinnest minute repeater movement (at 3.9mm thin) compared to JLC/Piaget's (at around 4.8mm each) but then again, the Vacheron movement is manual wound whereas both JLC and Piaget are both automatic movements.

The Vacheron and the Piaget are both quite traditional in their movement design, whereas JLC pushed the envelop just that little bit more in order to cram in extra complications (just like Piaget did away with a separate movement and case construction in their quest for ultimate thinness in a mechanical watch and combined the two to make the watch one integrated unit). Rather than having a slider to activate the minute repeater, JLC instead opted for a pusher, which stays flush with the case after activating the minute repeater, and a separate mini slider to release the pusher if you didn't catch the time the first time 'round.

JLC has also removed as much as possible around the tourbillon to make it first of all, reduce the amount of space it takes up and second, to offer a completely unobstructed view of the tourbillon. Again, people have expressed concern at the fragility of a flying tourbillon topped with a flying balance, but I guess JLC's done their homework and made sure something like this will still be sturdy enough for everyday wear.

And finally, a peripheral winding system dispenses with a centrally mounted rotor (takes up too much space), instead a weight spins around the edge to wind the movement up. This idea is not new.  The first patents to this system where filed in 1955 by Paul Gostel and a decade later by Patek Philippe. The first brand to offer this system in a serial production was Carl F Bucherer back in 2008. Subsequently numerous brands also presented their version sof the peripheral winding system, with DeWitt in 2009 with their Calibre DW8014, followed by Audemars Piguet with their Calibre 2897 in 2011, then in 2012, by Cartier (of all brands) with their calibre 9603 MC, even though they've not announced it as such, instead focusing on the design attributes (a bejewelled panther spins above the dial, but is in fact the 'rotor' for the movement). And finally, in 2013 with Breguet's Calibre 581DR, which currently also holds the record of the thinnest automatic tourbillon movement (that's another one Piaget needs to get back...).

From Top Left: Carl F Bucherer, Audemars Piguet, DeWitt, Cartier. Breguet movement not shown because I couldn't find a brand PR shot.

Personally I like this strive for thinness. As Daniel Riedo, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre mentioned, that it is much easier to make a watch with a thick case, than it is to make it thin. It shows the capabilities of a manufacture, when they are able to make a watch as thin as possible, without all that dead space inside the watch. I salivate at the prospect of what could possibly come next! I wonder how much space the minute repeater takes up? If JLC got rid of it, could they challenge Breguet for the thinnest automatic tourbillon movement? Or does Vacheron and Piaget have something in the works already? Only time will tell and perhaps stay tuned for: The Quest For Thinness Part 3: The Whirlwind Timekeeper.

Top 10 Women's Swiss Mechanical/Automatic Watches

It appears that there is a demand of some sort out there for lists of top watches or recommended watches. It also appears that such a list doesn't really exist for ladies' watches. At least not in any usable form. So here at The Sydney Tarts we thought we'd compile a list of top 10 watches for women. These are watches we feel are either classics in their own right, or extremely popular/in-demand. They're not necessarily watches we'd recommend, but of course, watches are entirely subjective and all the watches in this list are pretty good watches in their own right. Really comes down to what sort of watches you like, and how thick your wallet is.

For this post we will be concentrating on the 10 best mechanical/automatic Swiss watches for women. This will cover all price points and we'll do another post later on focusing on quartz models. For brands that offer various ladies' watches in mechanical or automatic, we've picked the most popular or the most iconic model, but will also mention in the text in regards to the other models.

So, here we are, in no particular order... Well, that's not really true. They're in order of "what comes to mind", ie, the first watch is the first one that comes to mind, etc etc. By the 8th we were grasping at straws simply because a lot of watches for women seems to be quartz only...

1. Rolex Lady Datejust Automatic
Well this one is a no-brainer. It's not the prettiest watch in the list but it is classic, and reliable, and a proven workhorse of a watch. Like its male counterpart, these will withstand pretty much anything you throw at it. Rolex watches are over-engineered and are of course, designed first and foremost to be tool watches. So if you are tough on your watches, you really can't go wrong with the Rolex. They also come in a huge variety of colour/material/dial combos, making it easy (or tough) for you to choose one the exact version that's best suited to you.

2. Omega Ladymatic
This is a fairly new addition to the Omega range, although the name Ladymatic has been used in the past. The current Ladymatic, as modeled by Nicole Kidman, is designed purely for women, rather than a scaled-down men's model. The watch is extremely elegant, comes in a biggish size, perfectly on-trend and powered by an in-house movement. Like the Rolex, there are quite a number of dial/material combinations to choose from. The Ladymatic might be new, but it's proved to be very popular and fast becoming a classic for Omega. They've certainly developed a winner here. (Honourable mention: the Ladies Constellation, but these do sell more in the quartz model)

3. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Lady Manual
We debated long and hard on this one, and finally settled on the Reverso Lady. The cause of the debate is the new Rendez-Vous range, which is just on 2 years old and doing extremely well for Jaeger-LeCoultre. However, our reasoning was that if you were to only get one Jaeger-LeCoultre, it would have to be the Reverso, as it is iconic for JLC, and no one else makes anything like it. (ie, reversible case) So here we are. Our pick of the litter would be the Duetto model, simply because you get two watches for the price of one. There's the daytime (front) side and the evening (reverse) side, powered by the same mechanical movement. (Honourable mention: Reverso with a single side and plain case back for personalisation, or, if you must have a round watch, the Rendez-Vous)

4. Chanel J12 Automatic
I'm sure this watch needs no introduction. Chanel has done an amazing job with this model, and in a relatively short time, created an instantly recognisable icon that has possible brought about the renaissance of the use of ceramic as a case material and the style copied ad nauseum (Much like the Datejust). These are so popular in fact that they're commanding extremely high resale prices, and in some cases, higher than the original list price.

5. Cartier Tank Francaise auto
Cartier has a number of classic watch models, from the Tank, to Santos, to the more current Ballon Bleu... and even within the Tank and Santos range, there are numerous sub-ranges to choose from... but the watch we keep coming back to is the Tank Francaise. To be honest these probably sell more in the quartz version, but the automatic is right up there.

6. Tag Heuer Lady Link Auto (34.5mm)
The Lady Link comes in different sizes and the automatic movement powers the 34.5mm size version. Like the Ladymatic and the Rendez-Vous, this is a series designed especially for ladies. Ok you might argue that there IS a Link series for gents, but at the very least the Lady Link isn't a pre-shrunk Gents version. Beautifully modelled by Cameron Diaz, the Lady Link is classy with a hint of sportiness. Just like Cameron herself. Tag could not have chosen a better ambassador for this range.

7. Breguet Reine de Naples
Personally, not a big fan of this piece. However, it is quite popular and apparently doing quite well for Breguet. There is just something not quite right to my eyes about an egg-shaped watch. But you can't ignore the pedigree. Breguet is a genunine watchmaker and respected by all. I... just can't get past the styling. But you have to give credit where it's due. It certainly is distinctive.

8. Girard Perregaux Cat’s eye
The Cat's Eye collection was launched in 2004, and is available from a simple three-handed watch to something with complications.The oval shape allows for this without being too large to fit on feminine wrists. It is also quite heartwarming to see complication watches for women, and you'd expect nothing less from another brand with rich watchmaking history.

9. Patek Philippe Nautilus Ladies Automatic
The first Patek ladies watch that came to mind was actually the Twenty4, then we realised that you'd have to spend the equivalent of a nice apartment to get it with a mechanical movement (along with carats of diamonds). So the Nautilus is out next choice and it would seem that this range is probably the default women's watch for women who appreciates the watchmaking craftsmanship. Granted it is a pre-shrunk gents watch and gussied up a bit with diamonds, mother-of -pearl and pastel colours, but they have managed to make the range quite feminine and attractive.

10. Piaget Altiplano (34mm)
The whole Altiplano range trades on one exquisite feature - being ridiculously thin. They're classy and feminine, powered by an ultra-thin mechanical movement... there is nothing not to like with this range. Don't forget that although Piaget seems to be just as well known for their jewellery, they do have a proper watchmaking history and do lay claim to the world's thinnest automatic movement, so these watches aren't just pretty faces!

Cartier's Jaeger-LeCoultre Duoplan Powered Watches - Antiquorum

This Cartier watch lot from the upcoming Antiquorum auction was brought to my attention courtesy of @horologium. It's an interesting lot seeing as you get a whole brief case of nice vintage Cartiers in one hit, most of which will most like need to be sent back to the service centre for a bit of TLC. The James Bond attache case is a nice touch.

Image from Antiquorum- Click on image to expand. The duoplan ones would be the rectangular shaped watches

What really caught my attention was the barely legible text engraved on the plate above each watch to identify it. I managed to make out the word "Duoplan" which struck a chord... what chord???

Well, back in the early 20s, Jaeger-LeCoultre came up with a radical method to shrink the watch movement in a quest to make everything smaller. They came up with the idea of putting the movement on 2 levels, so it's shaped like a brick, but by doing so shrinking the overall size and a brick shaped movement lent itself quite well to bracelet like jewellery watches. The name is literally that- Duoplan.

The Duoplan quickly evolved into the smallest mechanical movement ever made- the Calibre 101. One of the most famous watches made with this watch was the one worn by Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation back in 1953. The Calibre 101 consists of 98 parts, measuring 4.85mm by 14mm and weighs a massive 1 gram(!)

Watches with calibre 101 are still being produced today by Jaeger-LeCoultre, but the Duoplan is not. This might be quite the pick up if only for the Duoplan watches that aren't made by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Calibre 101 fitted into a Reverso case

The auction is this Sunday, May 12th in Geneva, and the Cartier watches set is lot 340.

SIHH 2013 - TREND: World Timer

I guess you could say there are two types of watches that has the multi-timezone feature. One is where there is a second dial/hand or a 24 hour hand to indicate another particular timezone. So you always have the time in two countries, but two countries only. This would be useful if you travel a lot and need to keep an eye on your "home" time. The other would be for those who may stay at "home" but needs to deal with various people from different parts of the world. This is where the world timer watches come in handy, as you can set the watch up so you can find out either at a glance or a quick turn of the crown (or push a button or something) the time in any given country.

At SIHH 2013 we can see there are quite a few different brands all offering their interpretation on the worldtimer feature. Now the thing with mechanical watches is that it is extremely difficult to meaure time in cities where their timezones are different to other cities in increments of 30min. (say, Adelaide or Mumbai) Up till quite recently, if you lived in these cities well... your best bet is a Casio G-Shock. If I recall correctly both Vacheron and Blancpain (?) managed to overcome that issue recently, but in 2013, JLC brings you a watch where you can set the time accurate to the minute! How's that in advancement in ye-olde-world technology?

IWC jumped the gun on their Richemont sister brands last year with the pilots Worldtimer. Let's see what we have from this year. Again, all the different price points are covered so if you're after a worldtimer, here are your SIHH 2013 choices.

(in alphabetical order)

Baume & Mercier Capeland Worldtimer - I've tried to find a decent pic but the only one I can find on the internet is a pic tweeted by @classiccreation and retweeted by @baumeetmercier. I have a feeling it's not meant to be seen 'officially' yet? Or did I just not look hard enough? This is a classic worldtimer, reminds me of the Longines version...

Cartier Tortue Multifuseaux - Ok, so Cartier also released a world timer last year in the Calibre de Cartier case. This year, in case you don't like round watches, you can have one in the Tortue case.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Unique Travel Time - You can set the second time to the nearest minute. But you'll need to know your GMTs, otherwise there's a chart on the case back outlining which city is at which timezone.

Montblanc TimeWalker Worldtime Hemispheres - it's also a bit of a trend to feature the 'world' on the worldtimer isn't it? Montblanc looked after everyone with 2 versions - northern and southern hemispheres. Wonder which one will sell more?

Ralph Lauren Sporting World Time - If the layout of the dial looks familiar to you, it should. This RL watch runs the JLC Geographic movement (which is also used minus the 'cities' disc in Vacheron's Overseas Dual time watch and AP's Royal Oak/Jules Audemars Dual time watches and a few others)

Richard Mille RO058 Tourbillon Jean Todt Worldtimer - If anyone needs a world timer watch Jean Todt would be it. President of the FIA he's bound to talk to people in various timezones. Most likely all at the same time too...

China's most popular online brands : how do watches fare?

The Luxury Society and Digital Luxury Group has released their new index of the top 50 ‘most searched’ luxury brands in China. The first instalment of the World Luxury Index, the ranking covers more than 400 brands within six key segments (fashion, beauty, jewellery, cars, watches and hospitality). Indexing based on over 150 million searches from China's most popular search engines, Google and Baidu. 

 

According to the study, 18 of the top 50 'most searched for' luxury brands in China (36% of total searches), are auto brands, and car related searches make up 54% of total online searches. In contrast, watches only amount to 3% of searches, with the most-searched for watch brand is Longines, followed by Omega and Rolex.

If you want to see some of the other findings of this report, you can view the slideshow here.

[AP]

Cartier Grand Complication Skeleton pocket watch

In recent years Cartier has unveiled a “grande complication” for each SIHH, featuring a tourbillon, perpetual calendar and monopusher chrono. In 2012, Cartier’s piece won’t be a wristwatch, but a pocket watch.

Visually similar to both the caliber 9362 MC Rotonde Grand Complication Skeleton (LE of 30) and the Calibre de Cartier case platinum Rotonde Grande Complication (LE of 25) but with the cut-out Roman numerals used in other models in Cartier's “Fine Watchmaking” collection, this utterly extravagant 59mm pocket watch powered by the hand-wound Calibre 9436 MC is white gold and will be made in a limited edition of ten pieces (five diamond versions will also be produced later next year).

The pocket watch uses the same movement that was used in the (45mm) Calibre de Cartier Rotonde Grand Complication. The Calibre 9436MC movement by Renaud & Papi consists of 457 parts, requiring around 212 hours of work to complete. The C-shaped tourbillon bridge is, of course, the Cartier signature.

The Roman numerals are machined from a single block of white gold then hand finished, with over 300 edges of the numerals bevelled by hand. Reportedly, it takes a staggering three weeks to complete them.

If you don't feel able to pull off a pocket watch, or feel that at 155.05 grams, it's too heavy for you, it comes with an obsidian and rock crystal stand.

Oh, and if you’re wondering about what the outlay might be to own this pocket watch, the calibre 9362 MC Rotonde has a price of USD510,000, the Calibre de Cartier version, USD490,000.

The white gold grande complication pocket watch? Well this will set you back EUR500,000 - that makes it around USD652,100 as I write this.

[AP]

Calibre de Cartier : Episode II

Cartier’s Calibre de Cartier range has become tremendously popular since it was launched. Powered by the automatic Calibre 1904 MC movement (named after the date on which Cartier’s watchmaking history commenced), it’s a decently sized 42mm but wears easily, and I’ve been quite taken with the white dialled steel version since I first saw it at the Calibre de Cartier launch in Sydney last year.

The use of short films and promotion videos by watch brands is increasing, whether it by an established brand such as Rolex with its often quite educational pieces, or even Stepan Sarpaneva with his magical short film offering a few months ago. Cartier has just launched the second instalment (they call it “Episode II”) of their Calibre de Cartier “story” on Facebook, Cartier’s channel on YouTube, and of course, you can see it at the Calibre de Cartier website. I’m hazarding a guess that there will be twelve episodes.

Just in case you missed out on the first one, here is Episode I :

The newly debuted Episode II :

If you want to take a look at the 1904 MC, they have a film for that as well :

I have to confess that I’m actually rather enamoured of Cartier’s White Gold Rotonde de Cartier Jumping Hours, but that’s a whole different price point alas...

[AP]