SIHH 2018 is just months away, but we are already hearing about some of the new watches that will be released. Today, we have a pair of Cartier Rotonde De Cartier Mysterious watches – the Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night and the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon.
The idea for these Mysterious Watches actually comes from the Mystery Clocks that Cartier made way back in the early 20th century. These clocks were notable because [SPOILER ALERT] their hands were fixed onto clear discs driven by gears just out of view, creating the impression that they were floating on the dial. This iconic look has been adapted for a number of Cartier’s watches and they make for interesting viewing.
The Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night is available in a 40mm 18k pink gold or white gold case. Cartier fans will be pleased to know it also comes with the brand’s signature blue sapphire cabochon crown. Water resistance is rated at 30m.
The dial is divided into two halves. The top half features a day & night complication and also shows the hours in the form of a 12-hour scale that reads from six to six. In the day, a sun will appear on the dial and make its way from left to right. The hours are read simply by looking at the position of the sun in relation to the 12-hour scale. When it is night, a moon will appear and likewise will make its 12-hour journey from left to right. The bottom half of the dial features a radiating guilloché pattern in the center and a retrograde minutes display.
The Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night is powered by the in-house hand-wound Caliber 9982 MC, which is visible through the sapphire display caseback. Made out of 174 components, it beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of at least 48 hours.
The second watch, the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon is based on the Rotonde Mysterious Double Tourbillon watch that was unveiled at SIHH in 2013. Case size is 45mm wide and it is only available in platinum. For those who want a little more bling, there are also two additional versions, one with a paved diamond bezel and another with a paved diamond case and movement.
Skeletonization is a much misunderstood art and I think a lot of people fail to appreciate just how difficult it is to take material away from the movement and still maintain proper aesthetics and structural integrity. In the case of the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon, the bridges have been artfully skeletonized to take the shape of Roman numerals. In addition, the skeletonization of the movement has further accentuated the action of the double flying tourbillon.
Here, the double flying tourbillon makes a single rotation around the mystery dial once every 60 seconds. As a result, it also doubles as a seconds indicator. And while it does this, it makes a second rotation on its own once every five minutes. The hours and minutes are read off the two blued steel sword-style hands above the tourbillon.
The Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon is powered by the Caliber 9465 MC, which consists of 286 components, beats at 3Hz, and has a power reserve of at least 52 hours. It is also Poinçon de Genève certified, which means the movement has to meet strict criteria with regard to its finishing and materials. In short, expect the movement to be expertly finished.
We hope to see more of these two watches at SIHH 2018 early next year. The Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night watch is priced at $63,000. The Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon watch is priced at $216,000. If you want one with a paved diamond bezel, it is $324,000, and with a paved diamond case and movement it is $530,000. Each variant of the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon watch is limited to 30 pieces. cartier.com
