00/24 WatchWorld

For nyligt fik jeg indleveret at Cartier Pasha Seatimer hos Bruun Rasmussen med henblik på fremtidig auktion. Da jeg senere gennemgik uret ved mit bord, gik det atter op for mig, hvor godt jeg kan lide denne model. Jeg matte derfor lige have de tom armen for at blive erindret om, hvor godt Pasha Seatimer føles på. Cartier Pasha er ikke et gammelt design fra Cartiers tikkende kollektion. Pasha-modellen blev først introduceret i 1985, men var allerede ved lanceringen betragtet som et stort ur. Det er Pasha dog ikke i dag. Pasha anno 2013 har en perfekt størrelse og dette Pasha Seatimer tilbyder 40 særdeles klædelige millimeter, der passer min arm fantastisk godt.

Recently I was handed over a Cartier Pasha Seatimer from a client at the auction house I work for and once back at my desk I realized how much I really like this particular model and had to try it on for size. The Cartier Pasha is not an old watch, per se. The name of model may sound as if it was originally designed specifically to a wealthy Indian Pasha in the roaring 1920s. Instead it was not launched until 1985 and was already back then a somewhat large watch.

If I’m honest, SIHH 2013 seemed a slightly muted affair. There were few genuinely new and original watches outside the haute horological limited editions, and excitement levels weren’t quite bubbling over. It’s not that there weren’t plenty of superbly made watches (there certainly were) and bold horological flights of fancy (thank you Roger Dubuis, Greubel Forsey and others); but the new watches in the mainstream ranges were mostly evolutions, in some cases bordering on repetitions, rather than genuine new directions. After last year’s Asian-friendly razzmatazz, when you couldn’t move for garish dragons, eye-popping skeletonization and crazy tourbillons, it all seemed a little quieter.

På en solrig novemberdag sad jeg med dette fantastiske Calibre de Cartier Chronograph om armen hos Cartier midt i det smukke Valle du Joux landskab. Nærmere bestemt Cartiers hovedkvarter. Grunden til, at jeg sad med denne pre-SIHH nyhed så tidligt skyldtes, at jeg er medlem af Cartiers Fine Watchmaking Club, hvor vi to gange om året gennemgår de nyheder, der ser dagens lys under den årlige SIHH urmessen i Geneve, der løber af stabelen i januar 2013.

As a member of Cartier Fine Watchmaking Club I get a first look on the models that Cartier launch for the annual SIHH watch fair. It is always a treat to see what the brilliant mind of Carole Forestier-Kasapi has come up with. Carole is one of THE most talented horological vizards and recently won the prize for Best Watchmaker at the annual Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve. A prize fully deserved.

Jeg besøgte Cartier i Schweiz i dag for at nyde nogle af de nyheder fra firmaets high end produktion, der lanceres i 2013. Som medlem af Fine Watchmaking Club får jeg lov til at se Cartiers nyheder, før de præsenteres for omverdenen under SIHH urmessen, der løber af stabelen i januar 2013. Jeg kan dog ikke fortælle om, eller vise disse nyheder, idet de ikke må kommunikeres før SIHH messen. Jeg kan dog i stedet vise et skægt Cartier Santos, jeg fik i hænderne.

Went to see Cartier in Switzerland today. As a member of the Fine Watchmaking Club I got a first look at the news revealed at SIHH in January 2013 and believe me: watch connoisseurs are in for a treat! I cannot reveal what I saw in terms of new models due to a journalist embargo, but I can however show you a great watch that sat on the arm of one of the Cartier employers.

Technology doesn’t stop and leads to innovations like new materials and methods, challenging  watchmakers looking for solutions to often old construction problems. The results are sometimes spectacular. Some recent examples are presented here.

Cartier has just launched its second concept watch, the ID Two (ID stands for Innovation and Design). The first one was, three years ago, the ID One with an escapement not in need of regulation. The most striking feature of the ID Two is the transparant case of a material called Ceramyst. Inside the hermetically sealed monoblock case is a vacuum atmosphere  to eliminate air resistance inside the case, an important factor in energy loss. Due to other construction improvements the vacuum inside the case will be maintained for up to ten years.

My dear friend, James Dowling, is mostly known for his incredible knowledge in Rolex. But, as many other passionate people, Dowling also appreciates other good things in life. For instance vintage Cartier watches.

I recently met with Dowling and he sported not a vintage Rolex on his manly wrist, but a stunning Cartier Tank from 1919. "Only six are known to have been made" explained Dowling when I asked him about the stunning watch.

It suddenly feels like those days at school again. The dudes from chemist and physics classes wearing the analogue and digital watch back in 1980. I thought they were cooler than cats and I wanted one of those watches and I even considered joining one of these admittedly nerdy classes, just to be close to these guys and their incredible watches. I feel like I am back in school again. Sort of. This because I paid Cartier a visit and while listening to the guys there – and the incredible talented Carole Forrestier – explaining about duo level barrels with springs of glass microfiber, ADLC coated movements parts and 32 days of power reserve made me wonder if Cartier took a class in ”How to make your product appear more masculine”. Because that is precisely what Cartier is doing, presenting not only the incredible ID Two, bit also showing the first versions of the AstroTourbillon Carbon Crystal, offered in a limited edition of 50 pieces and sporting a movement that is completely adjustment-free and lubrication-free, strongly inspired by the concept watch ID 1 that was introduced in 2009.