- Cartier has brought back the Roadster after 14 years, with the timepiece originally introduced in 2002 and discontinued in 2012
- The Roadster is inspired by automotive design and draw from the aerodynamic lines of mid-20th century automobiles
- The Cartier Roadster is available in medium and large sizes in steel, yellow gold, and two-tone configurations, with the medium powered by the manufacture calibre 1847 MC and large powered by the 1899 MC
- Cartier first announced the return of the Roadster at Watches & Wonders 2026, with the timepiece now available in Australia
- The Cartier Roadster is priced from $14,100AUD (steel; medium) to $86,500AUD (yellow gold; large)
Over a decade after being discontinued, the Cartier Roadster makes a triumphant return — and, a case for being your new daily driver. The Roadster has always been an interesting timepiece within Cartier’s stable; uniting the maison’s prowess for creating elegant shaped watches with its legacy of creating the first pilot’s watch—the Santos—for Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont.
Introduced in 2002 at the turn of the millennium, the Cartier Roadster looked ahead while referencing the past. The tonneau (barrel-shaped) case took the distinct shape used in the maison’s dressy Tonneau and Tortue timepieces and adapted it for a sporty, rugged timepiece, with a thick case profile and screws on the lugs, while the dial layout referenced a speedometer. However, the Roadster’s most defining characteristic appears on the sapphire crystal itself, with a headlight-shaped magnified date window that flows out into the conical crown which itself sees the classic Cartier cabochon replaced with an all-metal construction.
Now, the Roadster revs up again. Remaining faithful to the original design, the revised Roadster sharpens the proportions and revises the ergonomics of the case and bracelet design. The screws on the recessed lugs have been replaced by four rivets on the bezel (which is also slightly broader and flatter), resulting in a smoother transition from case to bezel and an overall cleaner silhouette. The lugs themselves now flare out and accentuate the tonneau shape of the case, while the integration between the date magnifier and conical crown has been refined to create a seamless flow which further plays into the ‘headlight’ effect.
The speedometer style dial layout has been preserved, albeit executed with more advanced techniques. The circular striated pattern is recessed into the dial to create depth and topped with Roman numeral hour appliqués, while a polished trapezoidal metal window around the date allows it to stand out. Both the hour indices and rail track have been treated with a coat of varnish. The bracelet has also been modified for better ergonomics and aesthetics; the links shortened for a better fit and a juxtaposition of brushed and polished surfaces creating visual interest. The metal bracelet is equipped with QuickSwitch technology, allowing it to be easily swapped out for a leather strap.
The Cartier Roadster arrives with seven references across two case sizes. The core collection comes with a white dial in either steel, yellow gold, or two tone, with each available in medium or large. The seventh reference is a large steel model with a blue PVD dial, presented on a blue rubber strap.
Both newcomers are powered by an automatic manufacture calibre; the 1847 MC for the medium and the 1899 MC for the large. The former has a 39-hour power reserve while the latter takes it up a touch to 40 hours.
A subtle reminder that the ‘watchmaker of shapes’ was also the first to create a functional tool (wrist)watch, the Cartier Roadster is officially back on the road.
The Cartier Roadster is priced from $14,100AUD for the medium model in steel to $86,500AUD for the large model in yellow gold.
Price: from $14,100AUD (medium, steel) to $86,500AUD (large; yellow gold)
Model: Roadster
Case size: 42.5mm x 34.92mm (medium); 47.2mm x 38.8mm (large)
Movement: 1847 MC (medium; automatic); 1899 MC (large; automatic)
Water resistance: 10ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power reserve: 39 hours (medium); 40 hours (large)
Words by T. Angel
