My 2024 of watchmaking began with a Replica Cartier, the Drive de Cartier Phases of the Moon, and 2019, it is a pure coincidence, it makes no difference. After discovering the strengths and weaknesses of the Santos de Cartier Chronograph, let’s try to take a look at SIHH 2017 and the fine watchmaking of the French brand, where the technical skills of master watchmakers blend with strong creativity. The result is made of objects for connoisseurs, which will not strike a chord with everyone aesthetically but which are technically excellent and the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire is the perfect example of the brand’s modern philosophy.
As anticipated, it is not new this year, but it has never had the visibility it would have deserved. Cartier has created two versions of this super-complicated one, one in platinum with Roman numeral indexes and a perhaps too elaborate style, and a purer one in rose gold without indexes on the dial. They were presented at SIHH 2014 and SIHH 2017 respectively and it is the latter that we dedicate ourselves to on this occasion.
Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire Perpetual Calendar
The starting point is that of a Rotonde de Cartier, which is increased to 45mm in diameter and 15.1mm in thickness to accommodate the automatic manufacture caliber 9459 MC certified “Poinçon de Genève”. The dimensions are far from familiar for the brand but are justified by the need to give the right space to the two complications, the flying tourbillon and the perpetual calendar. The combination is rare but not very rare, in high watchmaking – A.Lange & Söhne has the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar in its catalogue, for example – but it is the interpretation offered by Cartier that is unique.
A new interpretation of the perpetual calendar
The central element of the design is the flying tourbillon, housed within a perpetual calendar developed on three concentric and degrading levels. The tourbillon therefore sits at the center of an amphitheater, a direct reference to the classical world. The tourbillon-perpetual calendar combination occupies a large part of the dial, we are faced with a valid example of how mechanics and complications can be put at the service of aesthetics and visual art. The three concentric discs show the date, month and day of the week, from the outer ring to the innermost one, respectively. It is a logical choice from the point of view of usability of information.
The leap year indication is visible on the case back, partially hidden by the winding rotor. Indicating the leap year through a fourth concentric disk would have made everything easier and more integrated, but it would have entailed a more complex reading and further reduced the space reserved for displaying the time. Tiny blued windows rotate on the three concentric discs, connected to the caliber gears, which allow the current date, month and day to be highlighted and guarantee immediate readability, which is not so obvious when it comes to perpetual calendars. The tourbillon is a flying tourbillon with Cartier’s C-shaped case that makes a complete revolution in one minute.
The Cartier Caliber 9459MC
In the in-house caliber 9459 MC, most of the springs and levers traditionally used in perpetual calendars have been replaced by gears, a solution that Cartier believes also increases long-term reliability. The watch is regulated almost exclusively via the winding crown.
Time, date and month can be changed via the crown and in both directions, while to change the day of the week you need to use a small corrector hidden on one side of the case.
The details
If we exclude the central scenario, we find the classic blued sword-shaped spheres at 12 o’clock to display the time, and the rose gold plate engraved with the Cartier logo and a ring for the minutes. The rest of the dial is decorated with silver lines with rays starting from the hour and minute axis and degrading towards the end.
A non-negligible detail: the minute markers follow the path of the rays. The inevitable sign of recognition is the cabochon-cut sapphire set in the winding crown and the shape of the crown, probably designed to increase the grip, as well as for purely aesthetic reasons.
Conclusions
The Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire Perpetual Calendar in rose gold was produced in a limited edition of 100 pieces with an alligator strap and deployant at a price of approximately €200,000. We are in the field of fine watchmaking and prices are by definition not popular, but neither are technical architecture and aesthetic creativity. Compared to the competition, an Astrocalendaire has a unique romanticism and an original approach to the two complications. Finally, it’s not a stretch to say that Cartier has created the most readable perpetual calendar on the market.