Cartier, one of the world’s top luxury brands, is renowned for its jewellery, handbags, and perfume. However, it is also a significant player in the luxury watch market, a fact that can sometimes be overlooked. The new Pasha collection, in particular, aims to rectify this perception, targeting not just the fashion-conscious but squarely the watch enthusiast.
Jewellers Are Watchmaking
Cartier’s journey began in 1847 with Louis-François Cartier, an apprentice jeweller who deeply believed in the power of style. To this day, as articulated by Cartier Director of Image, Heritage and Style Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s core focus remains on style, driven by an aesthetic language rather than an engineering one.
Historically, jewellery stores, including Louis Cartier’s, sold a variety of fine goods beyond just jewellery, such as clocks and pocket watches. These timepieces were often sourced from third-party watchmakers like Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, with the jeweller’s name simply stamped on the dial. This symbiotic relationship was crucial in the early 1900s when pocket watches, the livelihood of many established watchmakers, were becoming obsolete.
Cartier, meanwhile, was flourishing. Its prestige was unparalleled, furnishing royalty and heads of state. With the help of Edmond Jaeger, Cartier revolutionised watchmaking with the Santos in 1904—a wristwatch championed by celebrity aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. This breakthrough sparked a frantic pivot among traditional pocket watchmakers towards wristwatches, and jewellers like Cartier played a vital role in their distribution and success.
Since the 1904 Santos, Cartier has consistently made its own watches. The key difference lies in its approach: Cartier prioritizes external style and design harmony over internal mechanical complexity. This is exemplified by creations like the Cartier Crash, a design whose visual narrative, inspired by a car accident, transcends mere functionality—a pure expression of “La vie de forme” (the shapes of life).
Is this “proper watchmaking”? In a commercial sense, “proper watchmaking” is what sells watches and captures consumer interest. In 1904, Cartier’s design flair popularised the wristwatch, giving the entire industry a new lease of life. Today, Cartier commands the third-highest market share in watchmaking alone, surpassing both Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. This undeniable market presence suggests that Cartier doesn’t just have a precedent for making watches; it is, in a fundamental way, integral to watchmaking itself.
Old School Cool
Historically, the mastery in clocks and pocket watches was often demonstrated through intricate decoration. This emphasis on the visual experience was a challenge for watchmakers transitioning to smaller wristwatches. The Pasha, while not an astronomical clock, embodies this tradition of visual richness. Its 41mm case is replete with classic details that serve as a compendium of watchmaking traditions.
A prime example is the guilloché on the dial, a Cartier signature that harks back to the 1700s and is rarely seen today outside of high-end brands like Breguet or, interestingly, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso—a watch that benefited from Cartier’s early influence on wristwatch design.
The lug design of the Pasha is also notable. Centralised rather than staggered, it’s one of many innovative lug designs Cartier has developed to continually refresh the wristwatch aesthetic. The Pasha’s relatively tame appearance by today’s standards belies Cartier’s bolder experiments in watch design from the 1940s and 50s—a testament to what Mr. Rainero calls “Rein de trop” (nothing too much).
Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the Pasha is its crown. Beyond the typical blue sapphire cabochon (a Cartier tradition and a pre-lapidary gemstone shaping method), the Pasha features a unique screw-down crown cap. This design choice dates back to the early 1940s, when the Pasha of Marrakesh, a friend of Louis Cartier, requested a robust, water-resistant wristwatch suitable for his adventurous lifestyle. The screw-down cap, a technique borrowed from 19th-century explorer’s watches, not only ensured water resistance but also protected the delicate crown. Despite Rolex’s earlier demonstration of the self-sealing Oyster crown in 1927, Cartier opted for this more “brute-force” yet aesthetically rich approach, providing 100m of water resistance in the modern Pasha.
It’s important to note that the contemporary Pasha’s appearance is largely based on the 1985 edition, designed by the legendary Gérald Genta—the same mind behind the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, watches that also prioritize form over strict function. The exact appearance of the “original” Pasha of Marrakesh remains a part of legend, which Mr. Rainero believes is crucial to honour.
The Actual Watchmaking
While form often takes precedence for Cartier, functionality is not neglected. The standard Pasha is powered by the in-house Cartier calibre 1847 MC, offering a 42-hour power reserve at 28,800 vibrations per hour, 23 jewels, and bold striping on its plates and bridges (though hidden by a solid caseback). The chronograph version uses the calibre 1904-CH MC, boasting a 48-hour power reserve, 35 jewels, and a column wheel for smoother chronograph operation. Both movements include a date function, which, despite potentially disrupting dial symmetry for some purists, undeniably contributes to watch sales.
These in-house movements are a significant upgrade from the ETA calibres previously used by Cartier. However, the most ingenious piece of “watchmaking” in the Pasha is arguably found in its bracelet. The new Pasha incorporates the QuickSwitch system for quick strap changes, but its bracelet adjustment mechanism is truly exceptional. The SmartLink system allows users to adjust the bracelet length without any tools. By simply pressing a hidden button on a link, a captive pin pops up, enabling easy link removal without fear of losing the pin. This tool-free, convenient adjustment system reflects Cartier’s commitment to a thoroughly modern ownership experience.
The pricing of the new Pasha also offers a pleasant surprise. A 41mm steel Pasha on a strap starts at £5,500, while the bracelet version is £5,950. This compares favourably to a typical Rolex sports watch, which might cost around £6,150. The steel and gold Pasha is priced at £9,700, and the chronograph at £8,330, both notably less than a Rolex Daytona (approximately £10,500). Coupled with a standard eight-year warranty, the Pasha presents a compelling value proposition.
The overriding theme of the Cartier Pasha is its bold and distinctive aesthetic, which may not appeal to everyone. However, understanding its deep roots in watchmaking history, its “watch nerd” appeal through traditional decorative techniques (guilloché, unique crown cap), and its innovative bracelet technology, reveals a timepiece with significant substance. It doesn’t need to be a Rolex or a Patek Philippe; as Pierre Rainero proudly states, it’s a Cartier—a brand that has profoundly shaped and continues to define the art of watchmaking through its unique lens of style and elegance.