Cartier

SJX
[Purist]
8540

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Up close with the Calibre de Cartier Chronograph

Cartier recently announced the Calibre de Cartier Chronograph, which will be the entry level, in-house chronograph watch targeted at men. Up to now, all the other entry level chronographs, like the Santos 100 for instance, used ETA calibres.

Seeing this watch in the metal changed my mind about it. When I first saw the stock photos I was lukewarm, but in person it is much more attractive. Oddly enough I find the steel and gold version appealing, though I don't usually like that metal combination. 

One detail I especially like is the gold rimmed subdials, but notice that the gold tone is a few shades lighter than the rose gold on the bezel. This would look great on a strap I think, I dislike the bracelet design; I find it too similar to the Rolex Oyster and the disparity in size between the steel and gold links is disconcerting.

Equipped with two counters, for minutes and hours - a constant seconds was omitted for aesthetic reasons - the Calibre de Cartier chronograph uses the column wheel controlled 1904CH MC movement, which is based on the 1904 MC movement of the Calibre de Cartier automatic. It has all the features necessary for strong chronometry (and also common to other Richemont-Valfleurier designed movements), including double barrels and a vertical clutch.

The vertical clutch specifically ensures that the torque delivered to the escapement is constant, regardless of whether the chronograph is activated; that means there is no "chronograph drag" assocated with lateral coupling chronographs which causes amplitude to drop.

Carole Forestier explaining the movement 

Another interesting notable feature, that is now commonly found in mid to high-end chronographs, is the linear reset hammer. This gives a precise reset for all the chronograph subdials, since there is a single reset hammer for all the chronograph hands. In addition, the linear hammer is flexible - note the springs that are part of the hammer - which reduces wear.

In terms of aesthetics, one key element is the minute scale engraved on the inner rim of the bezel. This gives the watch as a whole a much cleaner look, as compared to have it on the dial.

Two aspects of the design I am unsure of are the three date aperture and the combination of Roman numbers and baton indices.

As with the original Calibre de Cartier Automatic and Cartier watches in general, the case finishing is excellent and amongst the best relative to its peers. The lugs for instance have a wide and precisely polished bevel.

In a segment dominated by brands like IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre, this is a very strong contender, especially given its brand name and pricing. The retail price (before taxes) will be aboue EUR7400 for the steel on strap, EUR11,000 for the steel and gold on bracelet, all the way up to EUR34,000 for pink gold with matching bracelet.

- SJX

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