Launched within the spring at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024, this Cartier Tortue diamond-set gown watch in platinum remains to be not but out there. It’s scheduled to hit the market in September, so it’s about time we lined it hands-on — simply as we did with its (ambitiously priced and positioned) monopusher chronograph counterpart.
The Tortue belongs to the lengthy — most likely longest — record of century-old watch collections nonetheless in rotation right this moment. Cartier’s intensive and painstakingly sustained number of historic watch designs places Richemont’s crown jewel (and main money-maker) model right into a league of its personal. Launched in 1912, nicely over 100 years in the past, the “turtle” stays a captivating form that’s dressy, tense, calculated, and but, nearly too easy all on the identical time.
“Too easy” is just not a label you possibly can placed on this explicit piece, although, because the Cartier Tortue WJTO0010 is just not solely crafted from platinum — luxurious watchmaking’s O.G. heavy metallic — however it is usually set with dozens of brilliant-cut diamonds that look like nearly too giant for it. Regardless of its restrained 41.4 by 32.9 by 7.2 millimeter dimension, this gem-set Cartier Tortue is a blingy watch that may and will probably be noticed from the opposite finish of “Le First” on Place Vendôme.
The standard of the setting is absolutely fairly good, with the tables (the highest aspects) of the person stones neatly lining up, whereas the beads (the 4 prongs used to carry the stone in opposition to its base) are all extensively polished. From a worldwide jewellery powerhouse like Cartier, one would anticipate nothing much less, not even when working with platinum, which poses a significantly larger problem than smooth 18k gold. The general impact doesn’t disappoint: Sporting a factory-bedazzled Cartier is kind of the expertise.
That mentioned, the gem-set Cartier Tortue in platinum is an odd watch to put on. In its proportions, it lacks the eye-watering perfection of, say, a Lange 1, and its dial seems to be and feels as bland and primary as that of any Cartier watch supplied at precisely a tenth of the worth. Alternatively, its bling degree is simply sufficient to shred the idea of class into items and but is just not ample to supply the intimidating standing many consciously or subconsciously search when shelling out for a manufacturing facility diamond-set, top-tier reference of a watch assortment. Trying down on the Cartier Tortue on one’s wrist, it, subsequently, is a combined bag that may simply really feel as if it fell proper to the bottom in between high-luxury class and taunting-daunting flash.
Flip the impressively slender Cartier Tortue round, and you’ll be greeted by a stable platinum caseback that tries to make up for the absence of refined mechanics with using the Italicized French phrase: “mécanique.” Please. The underlying Cartier caliber 430 MC measures 4.3mm, which is thick by right this moment’s requirements for a hand-wound, 3Hz base motion with a short 38-hour energy reserve. Bulgari’s numerous Octo Finissimo calibers (typically supplied at a fraction of the worth) have this Piaget-based motion licked. There is no such thing as a motive to get your hopes up and assume that an elaborately embellished, perhaps even partially hand-finished, good, and high-performing motion was graciously hidden by Cartier — from what one can discover the seems to be of the 430 MC are as lackluster as its efficiency.
You would say I’m a downer relating to this watch, and you’d be proper. It feels so much like a relic of the watch business from 20 or 30 years in the past, when the deservedly posh model title, a small handful of diamonds, and the unsubstantial phrase “mécanique” was a recipe thought of to be ok to have watches like this fly off the shelf. And perhaps that was the case then, however I certain hope it’s not the case right this moment right this moment. Cartier, and its dad or mum firm, the almighty industrial powerhouse Richemont may definitely do a complete lot higher if it actually tried.
Till then, a somewhat primary case form, easy dial, a leather-based strap, a child’s fistful of diamonds, and an unimpressive motion is what’s on provide for a whopping $59,000 USD. That’s gem-set, albeit 18k gold, Day-Date cash, with simply as many diamonds, a solid-gold bracelet, an incomparably better-performing motion, arguably larger standing, and historic relevance. Far past Rolex, the extent of horological substance on provide right this moment for $59,000 USD, even from large manufacturers, is unimaginable. It’s, subsequently, tough to see how this area of interest but loud piece from Cartier may have an opportunity in such a cut-through section. Fortunately, there are various different, extra competitively priced and certainly improbable, traditionally necessary collections and references that Cartier affords, so not all is misplaced right here. You may be taught extra on the Cartier web site.
