When it comes to shaped watches, few brands can claim to match Cartier’s product variety and success. The classic Tank, the relatively new Clé de Cartier, and the highly atypical Crash, which makes recurring appearances over the years, are just a sampling of the manufacture’s offerings. This year, Cartier continues its trek off the beaten path of good ol’ round watches with the Drive de Cartier.

Foremost, Drive de Cartier is defined by a cushion-shaped silhouette and slim profile, lugs that extend smoothly from the case, which has both polished and satinated surfaces, a domed crystal, and a facetted crown set with a sapphire cabochon. The collection debuted with three models across seven references, including a Fine Watchmaking version, the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon, which is the flagship. Like its siblings, this watch’s dial design is Cartier through and through: Roman numeral hour indexes, sword-shaped hands in blued steel, and a scalloped sunburst guilloché pattern are all present as identifying elements. But unlike its siblings, this piece has a more elaborate two-tier structure. The guilloché pattern is confined to a lower layer that is overlaid with an upper dial sporting the markers and chapter rings.

The engine within the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon is the manufacture’s in-house Calibre 9452 MC. As its name suggests, the calibre contains a flying tourbillon, which is prominently displayed at six o’clock on the dial. The lack of an upper bridge here affords an airier design for a view right through the movement. This is complemented by the tourbillon’s upper cage, which has been rendered in Cartier’s characteristic “C”. Design aside, the personalised cage also serves as a demonstration of watchmaking savoir faire. Finally, the feather in the cap is 9452 MC’s Poinçon de Genève certification, which attests to the movement’s finishing standards and origins.

Specs

• Dimension: 40 x 41mm
• Function: Hours, minutes
• Power Reserve: 50 hours
• Movement: Manual- winding Calibre 9452 MC with flying tourbillon and Poinçon de Genève certification
• Case: 40 x 41mm in pink gold
• Water resistance: 30m
• Strap: Brown alligator leather with pink gold deployant buckle

Story Credits

Text by Jamie Tan

This story was first published in WOW.