Three Terrific Cartier Watches of 2016

It’s been an incredible year for groundbreaking and breathtaking watches from the Maison Cartier. From mystery watches, to daring new Panthers, entirely new collections and high-horology watches, this brand continues to raise the bar. Here we bring you a look at three terrific Cartier watches of 2016.

The Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux Caliber 9462 MC

Cartier has long been a master of mystery clocks made of materials such as rock crystal and sapphire that depict hands that seem to float in space. Now, the brand has transformed that floating, mystery concept to the wrist with the stunning Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux Caliber 9462 MC watch. This timepiece follows the brand’s previous Mysterious Hour and Mysterious Double Tourbillon watches, but with a little more to offer. The mechanical manual-wind 408-part movement, Caliber 9462 MC Astromystérieux complication, is entirely visible in the dial portion where typically only the hands appear. In this piece, the central tourbillon cage with four organs attached seems to float in space.  It is one of the most complicated timepieces to build and several patents have been filed for this complex caliber. You can read more technical details about the highly complex watch here. Just 100 pieces, all in palladium, are being made.

Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon

This year, Cartier unveiled an entirely new collection – one geared for the auto lover in all of us. The new Drive de Cartier collection features a distinctive cushion-like shape and consists of three different models powered by three different calibers. The one we love most is the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon. This timepiece is fitted with the 9452 MC caliber, a mechanical movement with manual winding. The watch holds the Geneva Seal, attesting to its fine craftsmanship. You can read about all of the models unveiled in this collection by clicking here.

Cle’ de Cartier Skeleton Caliber 9612 MC

Creating a skeletonized watch is no easy feat. Master artisans must work tirelessly to find the correct balance of open-worked metal and enduring strength, while at the same time developing intriguing views of the movement without compromising any of the components. Cartier is a master at the art of skeletonization and this year brings the Cle’ de Cartier Skeleton collection to new heights by unveiling its first automatic skeleton movement, the Caliber 9612 MC. Building an automatic skeleton is even more difficult than building a manual-wind skeleton because of the rotor. However, Cartier has skeletonized the rotor and integrated the bridges by forming the Roman numerals that indicate the time. The 165-part automatic Caliber 9621 MC offers 48 hours of power reserve. This watch is crafted in palladium.