In the world of haute horlogerie, no event generates more anticipation and excitement than Watches and Wonders. Among the pavilions of pioneering innovation and craftsmanship at the event, Cartier, a Maison with a legacy as luminous as its creations, once again sparkles in the spotlight with its 2024 novelties, which embody the watchmaker and jeweler’s design talent and heritage. From the reimagined silhouettes of timeless classics to the introduction of an entirely new collection, Cartier’s new 2024 models are a profound statement of the brand’s commitment to pushing boundaries and keeping things fresh. Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
The Santos Collection
Perhaps one of the most impactful watch collections ever, the Santos has been home to a wide array of iconic models that have had a profound effect on the evolution of horology. First launched in 1904, it has grown from its humble beginnings on the wrist of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos Dumont into a full-fledged behemoth of horological luxury. That heritage is front and center in the 2024 additions to this storied collection.
Kicking things off, we have the addition of a new dual-time variant to the Santos De Cartier collection. Made of stainless steel and boasting a rhodium dial, this 40.2 mm x 47.5-mm Santos De Cartier will cut a familiar figure on the wrist of any modern Cartier collector, with its dual-time display at 6 o’clock adding a touch of practicality to one of the most stylish integrated sports watches on the market. While the Dual Time Santos De Cartier is only offered in a single color for now, a new dial color has been added to the Santos De Cartier stainless steel Time and Date-only version: a stunning golden brown. Available on the large and medium models, this new variant offers a color combination that few watchmakers have dared to offer in recent times.
Along with the Santos De Cartier collection, Cartier has paid homage to the pioneering legacy of Alberto Santos-Dumont with the Santos-Dumont Rewind. Available in platinum, this limited edition of just 200 pieces features a stunning red carnelian dial with Roman numerals applied in reverse order to highlight its eponymous complication, a counter-clockwise display that celebrates Cartier and Alberto as unconventional trendsetters.
The final batch of new releases within the Santos Dumont collection is the expansion of the fan-favorite 2022 lacquer models. Offered as a particularly colorful trio, these new variants are only available in precious metals, unlike the previous trio which included a stainless steel variant. Boasting the same proportions of 31.5 x 43.5 mm, this new trio features several updated details, such as sunray-brushed dials without the box-shaped guilloché engravings of the previous models, and applied Arabic numerals instead of the Roman numerals of the previous generation.
Beyond those more subtle updates are some significant changes, including new lacquer colors. The platinum model, for example, is offered with a rich olive green lacquer, while the 18-karat rose and yellow gold variants are filled with a peacock blue and taupe gray, respectively – all of which are much brighter colors than the three used in the previous generation. Fans will also be pleased to know that only the platinum version is limited to 200 pieces, while the rose and yellow gold versions are not.
Privé Collection – The Tortue
Known as the “collectors’ collection that celebrates and explores the Maison’s mythical models,” the Privé collection, now in its eighth year, is the avenue through which Cartier explores models from its past, reintroducing classic models to modern watchmaking in a new light that showcases the brand’s contemporary craftsmanship and rich heritage. As part of this year’s Privé collection, Cartier has reinvented the Tortue collection, one of its oldest families, whose history dates all the way back to 1912.
As part of this modern re-imagining of the classic, the new Tortue features a fresh silhouette with a slimmer profile that has made the watch lighter. Furthermore, the watch pays tribute to the very first model with apple-shaped hands and a chemin de fer minute track along the dial’s periphery, beyond the Roman hour markers, tracing the Tortue’s iconic shape, and making the dial easy to read.
This 41.4 mm x 32.9-mm model comes in either platinum or yellow gold and is available in three limited editions: two platinum versions, one of which has a diamond-set case and is limited to 50 pieces, and a version without diamonds, limited to 200 pieces. That goes for the 18-karat yellow gold model as well. The platinum model, however, boasts applied platinum Roman numerals, while the yellow gold model features painted Roman numerals.
Beyond the time-only Tortue lies the watch that everyone will be talking about the most, the reissued Tortue Monopoussoir, a model that was famously offered as part of Cartier’s now-discontinued CPCP line which focused on bringing high horology watchmaking to the Maison’s iconic collections, a bit like today’s Privé collection. Available in 18-karat yellow gold with a grained gold-finish dial, and platinum with a silver opaline dial, with both limited to 200 pieces, this reissue exemplifies Cartier’s impressive horological expertise in its construction and presentation. In addition, the movement underscores Cartier’s technical prowess: the manual-winding Caliber 1928 MC, which powers both variants, is proudly displayed behind an exhibition case back, celebrating Cartier’s impressive watchmaking skills with its plethora of rich details and elaborate finishing.
Reflection de Cartier
Cartier has extended the Reflection de Cartier collection from the world of jewelry to the world of watchmaking. Offered as a combination of Cartier’s savoir-faire in the realms of watchmaking and jewelry, this new watch takes Cartier’s mastery of form to shed new light on the possibilities within the famed Maison’s design language.
Featuring an open architecture, the new Reflection de Cartier is in essence a bracelet whose two ends do not meet, providing a surface for the silver watch dial – an intriguing proposition, and a celebration of Cartier’s abilities as a design powerhouse.
Offered in five different variants, the watch comes in three white gold models, one fully diamond-set, the other two partially diamond-set but featuring semi-precious gemstones such as opals, tiger eyes, and amethysts, or chrysoprases, obsidian, emeralds, and Paraíba tourmaline. The other two versions do not feature diamonds and are available in 18-karat yellow or rose gold, ensuring that no collector will be left without their favorite precious metal color.
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