Reliability, legibility and functionality are the three main requirements every diver has of his dive watch, and the Calibre de Cartier Diver Watch fulfils, no, it exceeds, all of that and then some. This watch also brings in a good dose of elegance to the combination. Indeed one simply wouldn’t expect less of a Cartier timepiece.

Must-haves for all dive watches include a secure bezel, at least 100m water tightness, luminosity and resistance to thermal shock. This all-new dive watch has been through such tests as to leave even the most hard-nosed professional diver nodding in approval. In full compliance with ISO6425 which lays down no fewer than eight criteria of reliability through a series of extremely rigorous tests, the Calibre de Cartier Diver Watch had been tested to 300m, immersed in a sodium chloride solution for 24 hours at temperatures of between 18 and 25 degrees centigrade, plus another 50 hours at 30cm at the same temperature. Despite all this, it continued to perform flawlessly. Thanks to the superluminova applied to its dive-time indicators, hour and minute hands, pre-selection device, and small seconds counter, it remains legible in all kinds of conditions – night dives or murky water will not stand in its way.

Its secure ADLC (amorphous diamond-like carbon) bezel is unidirectional and designed with exactly 120 notches (40 teeth and three points) to enable adjustment to a half-minute with crystal clear ‘clicks’ that could only mean immaculate engineering. For greater visibility, the markers signalling each 5 minute period are clearly indicated. The sapphire crystal used in this watch is also thicker than usual, at 2.2mm.

Making the Calibre de Cartier case dive-worthy is no small task especially when the manufacture was determined to maintain its signature touch of elegance. For 300m water resistance, the entire watch needs reinforcement inside and out. But compared to the regular Calibre de Cartier case, this timepiece is only marginally thicker by 1.2mm at 11mm. Classical satin-brushed and polished finishing add depth (pun intended) to its design while the oversized Roman numeral XII is a clear sign of its pedigree.

The Calibre de Cartier Diver Watch is boosted on the inside by the manufacture movement Calibre 1904 MC – the first self-winding movement developed and assembled in-house – which provides 48 hours of power reserve. Three different references will be released from pink gold, bicolour pink gold and stainless steel, and stainless steel models on a rubber strap. Prices begin from €6,100 (stainless steel) to €19,000 (pink gold).

Above: Cartier Calibre 1904 MC view from the back

Above: Cartier Calibre 1904 MC view from the front