Sporty, masculine, and unashamedly inspired by the world of automotive design, the Cartier Roadster perfectly reflected the bold confidence of a new millennium when it arrived on the scene in 2001. For nearly the last decade and a half, however, it was something of a forgotten chapter in the brand’s rich history, until now, where it’s returned bigger and better than ever.
Beyond the roadster, this year Cartier is also celebrating a full decade of its Privé range, which has always represented a pinnacle for collectors thanks to its spotlighting of the rarest and most important forms of Cartier’s heritage. To mark the anniversary, Cartier has revealed a triple-threat in platinum, including a Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir, a Tank Normale, and a brilliantly skeletonised Crash Squelette.
Finally, the Cartier Santos-Dumont returns to the fore, but this time paired with a supremely refined 15-link bracelet inspired by the first made-to-measure metal watch bracelets from the 1920s. For a watchmaker so synonymous with the leather-strap-equipped dress watch, it’s an exciting step forward for the Santos-Dumont line-up, and one that’s guaranteed to turn heads.
Cartier Roadster
Pull off the covers and grab your keys, because the Cartier Roadster is finally back. It’s a collection that was a darling of the early 2000s, worn by everyone from David Beckham to Jennifer Aniston (and famously on the wrist of Michael Imperioli during The Sopranos), but one that’s faded from the spotlight over the last decade or so – until now.
The headline debut has to be the large reference with the dark blue PVD dial and matching rubber strap, which looks like it could easily be a daily wearer, from the office to the bar and home.
Another compelling angle for it to become your next daily companion is the guarantee of 100m of water resistance, and the patented QuickSwitch system that allows for easy switching depending on what the day demands.
Overall, we’ve got the same bold, energetic form as it’s always had, with plenty of automotive-inspired details from the speedometer-inspired dial, headlight-shaped date magnifier, and bezel rivets.
Cartier Santos-Dumont
For as long as there have been rules around how to dress, it’s been pretty well understood that dress watches need leather straps. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.
But as those rules have softened, so have attitudes around bracelets. And this year, Cartier has dared to break tradition, releasing the first Santos-Dumont with an in-house bracelet since the 1990s.
Inspired by the watchmaker’s earliest bracelets from the Art Deco era, three new references are debuting with bracelets that match their case metals, with two in yellow gold (one of which features a remarkable obsidian dial) and one in platinum, and all of which are exceptionally beautiful.
The bracelets are constructed using 15 rows of tiny links, which are each a mere 1.15mm thick and comprise a total of 394 links to make each example, resulting in a bracelet that’s so fine, it almost has a mesh-like quality to it.
For anyone who’s been lusting after something a little more robust within the Santos-Dumont line-up (without losing an ounce of opulence), Cartier has finally answered your prayers.
Cartier Privé 10th Opus
Commemorating a decade of Cartier’s most exceptional designs, the French-founded watchmaker has revealed the Privé 10th Opus collection. Since its 2015 debut, we’ve seen the spotlight turned on countless historical heavy-hitters, from the Crash and the Tank Normale, to the Tank Asymétrique, and the Tank à Guichets.
For the 10th anniversary, instead of focusing on a single design, Cartier has debuted a trio of new references, all executed in platinum with a red ruby crown cabochon, a burgundy leather strap, and burgundy coloured dial markings. Included in the limited line-up, we’ve got a Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir, a Tank Normale, and a brilliantly skeletonised Crash Squelette (limited to 150 pieces).
In addition to marking the decade anniversary, Cartier is also opening the chapter on what promises to be another collectable legacy with the debut of the Cartier Privé – La Collection range.
Swapping the quiet luxury of platinum for the traditional appeal of yellow gold, we’ve got a Tank Normale, Tank Cintrée and Cloche, all featuring blued-steel apple-shaped hands, golden opaline dials, and black dial markings.
