Home » The Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie » SIHH 2012 – Cartier Revealed Luxurious and Innovative 2012 Watch Collection
The famous watch and jewelry manufacture has taken the central stage of the 2012 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), presenting a series of new timepieces that set the highest standards in terms of technology, design and material. Haute horology enthusiasts will surly be trilled with an innovative flying tourbillon that has changed the traditional principles of tourbillon’s construction. Furthermore, you should not miss the first Cartier’s timepiece ever with a minute repeater, and the beautiful pocket tourbillon watch with a mechanical perpetual calendar.
Cartier Cadran Love Tourbillon Watch
Besides, Cartier offers several outstanding designs that combine classic beauty with contemporary craftsmanship, keeping the brand’s recognizable avant-garde style. Luxurious materials, such as gold and diamonds give the Cartier 2012 collection a glamorous look, while the extra limited editions provide the highest exclusivity.
If I had to pick the Cartier’s watch that has left the biggest impression on me, it would be a new Cadran Lové Tourbillon. In the hart of its breathtaking skeletonized body, there is a technological masterpiece, a flying tourbillon with a unique design of a tourbillon carriage that appears as if it is floating above the bridges and the dial. (Here you can find the complete review of this stunning watch.) There are another three models, presented at the SIHH 2012 watch show in Geneva, which we have already reviewed (the Skeleton Grand Complication Pocket Watch, the Masse Secrete Panther Décor Calibre 9603 MC watch and the Rotonde de Cartier Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon).
Today, we will introduce you a new Perpetual Calendar timepiece, Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar and Santos-Dumont Skeleton Red Gold watch. The Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar is available in two variations. The first one with the referent number W1556217 has a polished pink gold case, while the other one (Ref. W1556218) is crafted in polished white gold. Both versions have round cases, with the mid-size diameter of 40.5 mm. They are available with black alligator straps, with gold clasps.
Cartier Rotonde Perpetual Calendar Pink Gold Watch
A sapphire crystal case-back reveals a stunning Caliber 9422 MC self-winding movement with the perpetual calendar. This mechanism vibrates with 28’800 beats per hour, providing the power-reserve of 52 hours. Blue sword-shaped central hour and minute hands, as well as black, over-sized Roman numerals are nicely emphasized on the silver dial that is beautifully decorated with guilloche.
Besides, there is a special, blue hammer-shaped hand that shows date at the circular scale, located inside the outer rim of the dial. A retrograde weekday indicator is placed at the 6 o’clock position, while a disk that displays a month and a leap year takes the 12 o’clock position. The breathtaking design of the Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar is completed with a striking crown which is located at the 3 o’clock position and decorated with beads and a cabochon blue sapphire.
The Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar is another remarkable product presented at this year’s watch show in Geneva. This interesting timepiece with a robust, 45 mm case incorporates a totally new mechanism that allows all functions to be adjusted via crown. Developed entirely in-house, a new Caliber 9908 MC self-winding movement provides the maximum chronometric stability and efficiency. By incorporating an annual calendar mechanism directly into a plate of a 1904 MC Calibre, the France watchmaker ensured quick adjustments of different displays of the annual calendar through a cascade control process, controlled by the winding crown.
Rotonde De Cartier Annual Calendar White Gold Watch
The renowned watchmaker launched two versions of the Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar watch: the first one comes with an 18-karat white gold case, while the other one is made of pink gold. The white gold version matches a black leather strap, while the pink gold model, combined with a brown leather strap produces the extraordinary elegance.
The highlight of the watch is its perfectly designed multi-layered dial, with the central wavy pattern which is framed with several circular scales. Firstly, there is a weekday scale, and then you can see over-sized Roman numerals that indicate hours, then a month scale and finally, a minute track that runs within the outer rim. Besides, a large date window is located at the 12 o’clock position. Central, blue sword-shaped hands show time, while very interesting hammer-shaped hands of which only the red tips are visible display a month and a day of the week.
The Santos-Dumont Skeleton Red Gold watch is another Cartier’s model that combines groundbreaking design with the material of the highest quality. This is the first time that the skeletonized version of the Santos-Dumont watch comes in pink gold.
The robust, 47.4 x 38.7 mm case is just 9.4 mm thick. Combining polished and brushed surfaces, the prestigious watch manufacturer constructed beautiful skeletonized bridges in the shape of Roman numerals, behind of which one can nicely see the gears of a mechanism. The perfect work of the skeletonized Cartier 9614 MC hand-winding movement can also be seen through the case-back. Both sides of the case are protected with a sapphire crystal glass.
Cartier Santos Dumont Red Gold Watch
Characteristic elements for the entire 2012 Cartier Collection are a white gold crown with a blue sapphire cabochon on top and blued central hour and minute hands. The Santos-Dumont Skeleton Red Gold watch is available with a brown alligator strap that incorporates a folding clasp in rose gold.
