Cartier: A Year In Review

COVID or no COVID, Cartier forged right ahead with some spellbinding new watches in 2020. From a refresh of the legendary Pasha to a celebration of the Santos-Dumont to a whole new jewelry-watch collection, the brand didn’t let the pandemic stand in its way. We all have needed things to be excited about this year, and Cartier provided them in spades.

It’s the year of the Pasha for Cartier, with a modern take on the watch that was certainly avant-garde when it launched. It’s been 35 years since the introduction of the Pasha in 1985 to much scrutiny and fanfare. Cartier has taken the original design to a whole new level for 2020.
 

The Pasha is named for the Pasha of Morocco, Thami El Glaoui, who ordered a one-of-a-kind watch from Louis Cartier in the early 1930s. This original Pasha was designed to withstand El Glaoui’s active lifestyle. In particular, he wanted a water-resistant watch that could handle a couple of knocks on the dial. Cartier addressed the water resistance by equipping the watch with a crown cover, thus blocking water from seeping in from the crown. For impact resistance, Cartier covered the watch in a steel grid to protect the dial. 

The Pasha of Morocco’s made-to-order watch remained a one-of-a-kind piece, but its bold design was not to be abandoned. Over 50 years later, in 1985, none other than watchmaking legend Gérald Genta designed the Pasha we know today. This year, 35 years later, the Pasha is revamped from the inside out, staying faithful to its initial design. 
 

On the inside, the new Pasha is equipped with an in-house automatic movement. And the 1847 MC, in all of its glory, is visible through the sapphire caseback. As the Pasha was first made with extra protection for an active lifestyle, this watch takes its dependability a step further with anti-magnetism built into the movement. As far as water resistance is concerned, the watch’s winding crown sits underneath a chained screw-down crown cover for added protection.

Since 2015, Cartier has been producing a Privé collection. Based on Cartier’s most iconic models, the watches in the collection are brought into the 21st century, with all of Cartier’s modern watchmaking craftsmanship inside and out. Other Privé timepieces include the Tonneau, Tank Cintrée, and the Crash. 
 

This year brought us the Tank Asymétrique. “With its two horizontal shafts connected by two oblique ones, and its numerals off-set by 30 degrees to the right, the presence of this new Tank Asymétrique is striking,” commented to the brand. 

The Tank Asymétrique is available in three metals. The platinum version has a silver-colored dial, ruby cabochon crown, and a dark gray alligator strap. Both the pink gold and yellow gold versions have a sapphire cabochon crown, but the pink gold version is equipped with a gray dial and the same dark gray strap as the platinum version, while the yellow gold version has a champagne-colored dial and brown leather strap. 
 

There’s also a fully skeletonized version of the Tank powered by Cartier’s own 9623 MC movement. It comes in pink gold on a grey or brown strap, in platinum on a black or blue strap, and gem-set platinum on a black or glossy blue strap. The made-to-measure straps are fitted with an ardillon buckle. 

Also in the extra-large size, but limited to just 30 pieces, is the Santos-Dumont La Demoiselle watch in platinum. Its caseback is engraved with the design of “La Demoiselle,” which Cartier deems the most elegant of Santos’ flying machines. This spectacular timepiece comes with two straps: Brown alligator and “Panama” fabric. It’s also powered by the 430 MC watch, which has a power reserve of 38 hours. 
 

An engraving of Santos-Dumont’s single-seat motorized airship “La Baladeuse,” which he piloted across Paris in 1903, graces the caseback of this watch. This watch, in a yellow gold case, is a limited edition of 300 pieces.