Felix Scholz
The story in a second:Cartier have taken a regular Cle, applied a liberal sprinkling of diamonds and added a spectacular flying tourbillon. Just in time for Watches & Wonders 2015, Cartier have released news of the latest addition to their brand new Cle de Cartier line, which we explored recently. Forget the everyday elegance of the regular Cle models, because this new model eschews all of that in favour of one heck of a statement. While the base of the watch is a standard 35mm white gold Cle, you'd be hard pressed to locate even a hint of gold under the 478 brilliant-cut diamonds (totalling 3.56 carats) that encrust the case, even down to the unique crown that gives the collection its name. The dazzling display isn't just limited to the diamonds the movement has also been given an upgrade, with the dial now dominated by a 60-second flying tourbillon, in which the C-shaped carriage doubles as a seconds display. Meanwhile, the new Calibre 1847 MC has been swapped for the manually wound 9452 MC. First introduced in 2007, this is the first Cartier movement to receive the Geneva Seal, so you know it's been finished to an impeccably high standard. There's no denying this piece is impressive. It's not possible to combine that many diamonds with that movement without wowing people. Still, that profusion of stones risks obscuring the smooth geometric lines that are part of the Cle's DNA. Here at Time + Tide, the jury's out until we see it in the flesh at Watches & Wonders later this month. Stay tuned.
07.09.15