Everything you need to know about the Cartier 2020 collection
Nick KenyonMake no mistake, the Cartier 2020 collection is a cracker. Last year we were offered a smaller collection of watches that focused on the Santos and Tonneau shapes, but this year we get most of that and much, much more. The latest releases from Cartier are broken down into five distinct collections, but there’s also the welcome return of some of the earliest and most remarkable designs from the French luxury firm. The Santos-Dumont continues to shine as the backbone of the brand’s design philosophy with two revivals in the form of the Privé and Pasha de Cartier collections. The exceptional craftsmanship of the Métiers d’Art collection continues, and Cartier also launches a brand new collection in the form of the Maillon de Cartier. Here are some of the highlights from each collection.
Cartier Santos-Dumont Limited Editions
These three Cartier Santos-Dumont Limited Editions are the logical destination of the journey Cartier embarked on in January last year. Back then, they released the Santos-Dumont in a range of different sizes, but kept them affordable by using quartz movements. Last month they teased us with the release of the Santos-Dumont XL, powered by an ultra-slim hand-wound mechanical movement and housed in a slightly bigger case. Now we have the manual-winding Santos-Dumont with a range of different case and dial options, released in very limited numbers and presumably aimed at hardcore collectors. Each of these watches refers to their very earliest origins as a watch made for aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont. On the casebacks of each watch is an original sketch of one of Mr Santos-Dumont’s flying machines, sketches that now inform the names of these three watches. While it’s perhaps unreasonable to expect these pieces to be regular production watches, it is a shame that only a few hundred wrists will have the pleasure of wearing them.
Santos-Dumont “La Demoiselle” watch, in platinum, limited to 30 pieces.
Santos-Dumont “La Baladeuse”watch, in yellow gold, limited to 300 pieces.
Santos-Dumont “Le Brésil” watch, in platinum, limited to 100 pieces.
Cartier Privé
The Cartier Privé collection has always focused on the most unusual and creative shapes from the brand, including the Crash, the Tank Cintrée and the Tonneau. This year the focus is on a design that emerged between wars in 1936 – the Tank Asymétrique. The design was born by shifting the parallel tracks of the Tank by 30 degrees, creating a diamond-shaped dial and requiring a specially cut strap to fit it. In an expression of Cartier’s capacity as a watchmaker, and consistent with many other members of the Privé family, the Tank Asymétrique has also been created with a skeletonised movement, with the radially arranged hour markers serving as bridges. In both expressions of the Tank Asymétrique, they are powered by hand-wound movements, with the caliber 1917 MC in the regular dial and the caliber 9623 MC serving as the skeletonised movement.
Cartier Tank Asymétrique watch, in platinum, limited to 100 pieces.
Cartier Tank Asymétrique watch, in yellow gold, limited to 100 pieces.
Cartier Tank Asymétrique watch, in platinum, limited to 100 pieces.
Pasha de Cartier
After lying dormant for some time, the Pasha de Cartier has been reborn with a full array of curvaceous options, including steel, yellow gold, pink gold and diamond set. The instantly recognisable cabochon-set crown guard remains, but now features a second cabochon under the guard that would improve the ergonomics of interacting with the otherwise very small crown. Available on leather strap as well as bracelet, the bracelets on the new Pasha de Cartier references feature the relatively recent QuickSwitch system that allows for a bracelet change with the press of a thumbnail. The new Pasha de Cartier collection is not limited in production numbers.
Pasha de Cartier watch, in 41mm yellow gold case.
Pasha de Cartier watch, in 35mm steel case.
Pasha de Cartier watch, in 41mm white gold case.
Maillon de Cartier
A brand new collection from Cartier in 2020, the Maillon de Cartier offers a bold design expressed through strong, angular shapes. The off-set hexagonal dial is oriented at the same angle as the squared chain-like bracelet, offering a dynamic sense of movement throughout the many facets of the watch. The same exploded Roman numerals are at play on the dial, with blue or gold sword hands depending on the reference. Toying with the porous barrier between bracelet and wristwatch, it effectively stakes a claim in both camps as an eye-catching piece of time-telling jewellery.
Cartier Métiers d’Art
Some of the most painstakingly produced watches in the world are built by the craftsmen responsible for Cartier Métiers d’Art. This year, a panther motif is consistent across both watches, the dials of which depict a fairly lifelike scene of Cartier’s very own big cat. Created using the techniques of gold marquetry and enamel filigree, the dials are slowly made with each one taking dozens of hours before they are finished. Both produced in white gold, the dial depicting the face of a big cat is 42mm in diameter, while the diamond-set animal standing in a thicket of bamboo measures 36mm across. Both watches are limited to 30 pieces.