Watches & Wonders 2022: Cartier presents an impressive collection of novelties

The world of graphics and geometry is Cartier’s carte blanche, and treating watch aficionados to more excitement are new iterations and re-imaginations from its collections of iconic shapes.

Cartier’s horological creations are capable of evolving and establishing themselves across time periods with perpetual relevance. It is a question of mastery, translated into the most recent interpretations of iconic designs. In the spirit of timelessness, the purity of form of the Tank and Pasha de Cartier for instance, will always be contemporary and everlasting. 

This year, the Maison continues to rework its iconic shapes and signature pieces with absolute authority in design and innovation. From the flexible and tactile Cousin de Cartier to the spectacular rock crystal and diamond bracelet inspired Cartier Libre, each novelty timepiece is draped in elegance, sophistication and pure mastery in watchmaking. 

Here are the highlights from Cartier at Watches and Wonders 2022:

The Tank

This year, the Tank Louis Cartier watch expresses a new radical elegance with the intensity of the monochrome dials, in the Maison’s signature red, and anthracite grey, a shade borrowed from the Cartier watchmaking palette. In addition to this, it has been further refined: from the twelve classic hour marks, just four remain and the rail rack is absent.

The new Tank Louis Cartier comes in two Art-Deco inspired dials with a clever light play that creates beautiful depth to the watch face. Appearing monochrome at first glance, the Tank Louis Cartier watch reveals a vibrancy that is rich in shade and depth thanks to an innovative electrochemical engraving technique that allows for very high-precision markings — a first for Cartier. The engraving also creates reflective effects and optical variations that modify our very perception of colour. 

The Pasha de Cartier

The extroverted Pasha de Cartier design hailing from the 80s reaffirms its status as a timepiece for one-of-a-kind individuals with several amazing interpretations. The first, the Pasha de Cartier Grille, boasts a removable grid over the dial that is inspired by a 1943 watertight piece with a protective grid. 

The second is a series of three collectible pendants that can be clipped on the crown cover of the Pasha. Inspired by the Maison’s historic charms, the designs come in a double C, heart and eye motif. 

The third set of technical Pashas — the Moonphase, Skeleton, and Flying Tourbillon – are developed and produced at the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The Moonphase depicts the movement in the shape of a circle surrounded by a midnight-blue planisphere strewn with stars, and comes equipped with the Manufacture 1904 LU MC movement. The Skeleton features the beautiful 9524MC calibre and oversized Arabic numerals. Meanwhile, the magnificent Flying Tourbillon fitted with Cartier Fine Watchmaking’s signature 9552 MC calibre stands out with a cage signed with a C. It is fashioned in rose gold with a 41mm diameter and leather strap. 

The Santos

This year, Cartier has added three new iterations of the iconic Santos-Dumont as a tribute to the historical model. These colour variations in burgundy and platinum, beige and gold or black and steel are coated with a thin layer of lacquer, then smoothed and polished by hand. 

We have our eyes on the new Santos de Cartier, with a bezel in blue PVD and dials in white or blue, which is a welcome expression of modern masculinity. 

In the women’s department, the classic Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch is reinterpreted for the ladies in rose gold with a unique sunburst pattern and an alluring diamond arrangement on the dials. 

The Cousin de Cartier

One of the key launches this year is the Coussin de Cartier that bears a cushion-shaped case with a triangular setting to optimise the brilliance of the diamonds and inverted gems. Of glitz and glamour, the flamboyant timepiece will set hearts aflutter with its absolutely stunning design comprising supple white gold mesh that took 22 hours alone to be 3D printed. The watch features over 1,000 gems and has a tactile quality to it (yes, you can gentle squeeze the watch). 

There are gold and diamond versions, as well as two-tones versions studded with inverted coloured stones. 

The Panthère de Cartier

Ladies enamoured with the stylish and absolutely versatile Panthère de Cartier would be thrilled with four new coloured stain dials coming into the collection. The enigmatic ombre tones come in shades of golden plum, midnight blue and black. 

The diagonally crossed dials reverse the play of light and reflect the brilliance of the iridescent and subtle gradations. These models are available in rose gold, yellow gold, and steel. 

The Indomptables de Cartier

What took our breath away are three high jewellery models under the Indomptables de Cartier collection. Each timepiece features a pair of exquisitely sculpted wild beasts – the head of the emblematic Panthère with that of another magnificent creature — on the bracelet in the face-off across a diamond studded dial. The Panthère is now presented with a new clasp in the design of the big cat’s jaw. 

There is also the emerald-studded crocodile on yellow gold, a black spinel and diamond-set zebra on white gold, and a tiger on yellow gold embellished with diamonds, yellow sapphires, orange spessartines and black spinels. 

The Cartier Libre

Every year, the collection sees a new addition of a unique watch that is crafted with full creative freedom. Embodying its spirit of duality and its jewellery-making codes, the exquisite craftsmanship and character of this hybrid jewel-watch consists of a series of triangular links with triangular motifs running through it. This continuously repetitive sequence of forms allows the colours to infinitely diffract light, creating a magical theatric on the wrist. 

It comes in three versions based on Cartier’s iconic colour palette. One in black and white, with spinels and diamonds; one in contrasting colours, with rose gold, black spinels, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds; and finally, one with garnets, black spinels, moonstones and diamonds. 

For more information on Cartier’s new watches for 2022, click here. 

This article was first published on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur.