The Cartier Calibre is not only Cartier’s new flagship men’s watch, but also their new flagship case to to use for high-complication men’s watches. The Cartier Calibre model debuted last year, and came only on a strap. The Calibre was further not just a new piece for men, but a decently priced high-end timepiece with an in-house made Cartier automatic movement (the 1904-PS). Mid 2010 I asked Cartier if they offered a metal bracelet, as it seemed logical that they would. The answer at the time was “no,” but as of recently the answer is “yes.” Here finally, is the lovely Cartier Calibre watch on a metal bracelet.
You can say a lot of things about Cartier, but one of those should always be that they put in a lot of effort into the refinement of their watches. The cases are always attractive looking (even if they aren’t your style), and they have an impeccable reputation for quality. That is not however always true with their clasps. Because they don’t often use locking clasps they can loosen over time and open without you wanting them to open. For this reason I was thrilled to see them use a push-button locking butterfly style deployment for this bracelet.
In my opinion the bracelet is a perfect compliment to the design of the Calibre case. I wanted one of these watches before, but now I really want one. The bracelet fits flush with the case and is very nicely integrated into the design. The long links are highly curved, but not as long as the ones on the Cartier Roadster are. The connection between the parts is good, while the bracelet feels to be designed and constructed well. For ergonomics the links are curved to fit over your wrist better. The first major link tapers, while the rest of the bracelet is the same size. I like that they used visible screws to secure the links together. Visible screws have long since been a design element in Cartier men’s items.
In addition to the all steel bracelet, there will be a two-tone gold and steel bracelet, and more than likely an all gold bracelet coming soon (though an all gold bracelet isn’t yet available). The more I look at it, the more I like the bracelet, as well as how it matches the watch. Cartier did a good job at making it feel familiar, but also unique. They pride themselves in making unique bracelets for their watches. Though that often means you can swap them for other bracelets.
The center link of the bracelet is polished, while the outer links are brushed. If you look at the links toward the deployment, you’ll see they are smaller. These are called half-links and are there to allow for more sizing options. While this is not the style of bracelet that will allow for ultra precise sizing, it should be adjustable enough for most people. Even though the Cartier Calibre is only 42m wide, it always feels as though it sits larger. The bracelet helps give it an even more grand appearance, and to me is a really welcome part of the collection. Pricing isn’t too bad over the base model. While a Cartier Calibre in steel on a strap will run you about $6,500, that watch on a steel bracelet will run you $7,500. So the bracelet is priced at about $1,000. The two-tone steel and gold Cartier Calibre with a matching bracelet will run about $10,950. Look for them very soon.
