French luxury maison Cartier views time as cyclical rather than linear. Instead of discarding the old and reinventing the wheel, the maison seeks to transform the existing, with the Cartier Watches & Wonders 2023 releases reflecting this notion of ongoing metamorphosis. Both iconic mainstays and lesser-known pieces from the heritage brand are revisited, with Cartier’s Watches & Wonders novelties for 2023 spanning everything from a slew of ever-covetable Tanks and sporty Santos-Dumonts to dainty Baignoires and breathtaking hybrid jewellery creations.
Tank Normale
Anything but normal. Part of the Cartier Privé collection, the Tank Normale riffs off the seminal Tank created in 1917 by Louis Cartier. This piece borrows the proportions and bevelled sapphire crystal of the original, with the hours and minutes timepiece available in yellow gold or platinum on either an alligator leather strap or a matching bracelet. Laden with satin and polished finishes, it exudes retro style.
There’s also a skeletonised model thrown into the mix, accompanied by a 24-hour complication marked by a sun and crescent moon that is also skeletonised. While the minute hand turns around the dial in one hour, the hour hand moves around the dial in 24 hours instead of 12 hours. Because of this, daytime hours appear on the upper part of the dial while nighttime hours are on the lower section. A gradient effect across the bridge of the skeletonised movement represents the transition from day to night.
Tank Américaine
Launched in 1989, the Tank Américaine took its design cues from the Tank Cintrée, from which it borrowed its lean silhouette and curved case. For Watches & Wonders 2023, Cartier has leaned into the original curved design of the Tank Américaine by slightly slimming down the case to create sleeker, finer lines. The hour markers on the dial are further refined to enhance the watch’s purity of form. Equipped with the new 1899 MC movement for slimmer cases, the new Tank Américaine comes in gold and steel variants with a leather strap, rose gold and diamonds with a leather strap, or diamond-paved white and rose gold with a metal bracelet.
Santos-Dumont
The addition of a new specially developed 9629 MC automatic skeleton calibre works to elevate the functional elegance of the Cartier Santos-Dumont. Utilising the silhouette developed in 2019, the new Santos-Dumont takes shape in gold or steel and features visible screws, a beaded crown, and blue cabochon which serve to complement the skeletonised movement which includes a miniaturised functional oscillating weight in the shape of a replica of the Demoiselle, a trailblazing plane designed by the pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1907.
Baignoire
The signature oval-shaped watch has seen several iterations since its launch in 1912. For 2023, the Cartier Baignoire takes on a daintier aesthetic, with revised proportions that see the oval dial crowned in a rich gold ribbon that is mimicked for the bracelet, resulting in a timepiece that doubles as a form of jewellery. Defined by its pure lines and precise proportions, the new Cartier Baignoire takes on an almost sensual form, and is available in yellow gold, rose gold, or fully paved, with the option to team it with a black leather strap.
Clash [Un]limited
Designed to convey finesse and power, the Clash [Un]limited sits at the intersection of watchmaking and fine jewellery. Beads, picot studs, and clou carrés unite on the bracelet of the Clash [Un]limited to create a bold geometric timepiece. Inspired by the voluminous forms of Jeanne Toussaint’s designs, the Clash [Un]limited uses chromatic contrasts to emphasise geometric motifs; a nod to the ball bearings Toussaint would use to juxtapose precious materials. In the Clash [Un]limited, this manifests as alternating brushed and satin-finished gold as well as the addition of a specially developed violet gold that punctuates the bracelet of the watch.
La Panthère de Cartier
An integral motif for Cartier, the panther seeks to communicate strength. A sculptural three-dimensional panther head stands out above the dial of the La Panthère de Cartier, with the timepiece taking on an architectural approach defined by sharp angularity and chiselled forms. The La Panthère de Cartier is available in yellow or rose gold speckled with black lacquer with tsavorite eyes, or in diamond-paved white gold with emerald eyes.
Words by T. Angel
