Cartier revives the Tortue, debuts dual time Santos and new animal jewellery watches
Here are the highlights from Cartier’s Watches & Wonders 2024 offerings.
The Cartier Tortue collection. (Photo: Cartier)
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Cartier is known as the master of shapes, thus it’s only apt that one of its latest novelties unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2024 is a reissue of one its classic shapes.
This year, the Cartier Prive collection brings back the Tortue. The Tortue was first conceived in 1912, making it one of the oldest Cartier watch shapes, even older than the Tank. It gets its name from its distinctive turtle-like shape ("Tortue" is French for tortoise).
The 2024 version stays true to the original design, featuring apple-shaped hands and a rail-track. It has been subtly reworked for a slimmer profile, with horns stretched along the strap. There are three time-only models, and two monopusher chronograph versions.
The time-only model is offered in platinum and yellow gold, each limited to 200 pieces. There’s also a diamond-set platinum version limited to just 50 pieces. All three versions are powered by the manual calibre 430 MC.
The monopusher chronograph versions are offered in platinum and yellow gold, each in 200 numbered pieces. A sapphire caseback shows off Cartier's manufacture calibre 1928M.
The Santos collection also gets new releases, highlights of which include the new Santos de Cartier Dual Time featuring a dual time display at six o’clock. The Santos-Dumont Rewind is a fun, unconventional watch that runs backwards (yes, you read that right). The timepiece sports a striking red carnelian dial with the Roman numerals arranged in reverse. The apple-shaped hands, with their mechanical movement with reversed manual winding, the calibre 230 MC, also moves backwards.
Elsewhere in jewellery watches, the maison has created five versions of the Reflection de Cartier, a structural, open bracelet watch defined by its bold geometry. They come in several variations from yellow gold to rose gold, a full diamond set with white gold and two white gold sets with diamonds and coloured stones.
Nature comes to life with the Animal Jewellery watch collection. The zebra, crocodile, tiger, panther and more are interpreted in the collection, some as three-dimensional sculptural watches meticulously set with diamonds and gemstones, displaying Cartier’s artistry at its finest.
