Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Astromysterious Watch

The watchmakers at the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds are turning the spotlight onto the Astromystérieux in an unprecedented interpretation which combines the Tourbillon with the mysterious, a source of expression for Cartier since 1912.

The design is spectacular, displaying the entire movement floating in weightlessness. This watchmaking accomplishment is made all the more remarkable by the fact that the space dedicated to the hidden gears has been reduced to the bare minimum. The tourbillon carriage integrates not only the watch’s regulating organ but also the entire wheel train from the barrel to the balance which is all carried by a sapphire disc. The elongated carriage ensures the function of the minute hands and completes one revolution of the dial every hour.

Amplified in this way, the visible trajectory of the movement evokes the path of a celestial object orbiting in space, like a star suspended in the void, with no apparent connection to the mechanism. Cartier associates one of its most classic watchmaking codes with this complication which is both fixed and mobile at the same time: Roman numerals. The winding crown is set with an aquamarine cabochon matching the colour of the alligator-skin strap.