Retonde de Cartier

Retonde de Cartier

When I saw the following image I was left breathless.

Cartier have created a jaw dropping timepiece that makes jaws drop to the floor. They names it Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire. Designed like a stadium in rows and with the center stage being the (Ask Watchmaker).
This piece is truly admirable.
The "Cartier Stadium" is set up as follows.
Upper Level: Date display
Mid Level: Month Display
Ground Level: Day Display
Now I've seen a good amount of perpetual calendars but none like this. Cartier has redesigned the perpetual calendar into something new. Something that you look at and become lost in because you scan the watch in and out, out and in. But even with this marvelous designed they've made it easy to read.
The display windows is what I like to call a "Cartier Blue"  that is easy to spot.
But it goes much further than that, Cartier have redesigned the manual adjustments of this timepiece.
Changing the Date/Day/Month on a perpetual calendar can be hard as well as risky since you can over-wound the watch. But Cartier has changed that, just like how you would change your hour/minute on your normal watch using the crown you can do so with the Date/Day/Month features on this timepiece.
Cartier has essentially taken the perpetual calendar to the next level.

On the back of this timepiece you can see a leap year indicator.
With a a sapphire crystal back case you can see the amazing movement working.

Cartier states the following "The Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendar watch revolutionizes the perpetual calendar in terms of function and appearance. Its innovative design has produced a three-dimensional concentric display of the day, date and month. A flying tourbillon, rotating once every minute, occupies center-stage. Fine watchmaking connoisseurs will be sure to appreciate the ease of correcting the settings with the crown and admire the fine finishing of this “Poinçon de Genève” certified watch which is fitted with a 9459 MC mechanical self-winding movement."


The case is Platinum and measures 45 mm 15.1 mm thick and the watch is Automatic of course. The crown is Platinum and has a Sapphire Cabochon to decorate it.A silver galvanized guilloche dial with a silvered grid and black Roman numeral and of course the sword shape in a "Cartier Blue". It comes standard with a black alligator strap double folding buckle that is made of 18k white gold. The "stadium" (Perpetual Calendar) with of course the tourbillon complicatio. The watch is also certified "Poincon de Geneve". The movement consist of 382 parts inclduing 51 jewels, the movement itself it 32 mm and 8.1 mm thick. There is 21,600 vibrations occuring every hour and has a power reserve of about 50 hours, water resistant up to 30 m.

This is truly a magnificent timepiece and my respect goes out to Cartier for being innovative, yet maintaining the essence of watchmaking.

Remember Swiss Watchmakers offers Cartier Watch Repair