Cartier, one of the indispensable representatives of the concept of luxury, was the guest of our review corner with the Calibre De Cartier model, which stands out with his sporty character in the current model family.
Whenever I write a review for a model belonging to the Cartier brand, I start by listing all of the important and successful models that are released as a result of the brand’s history, contributions to watchmaking, and recent investments. This time, I am passing this part with the understanding that we left the "jewelry brand" perception aside.
When we hear Cartier, I guess diver’s watches are the last to come to mind. In fact, it is not wrong to say that Cartier is responsible for this, as I cannot think of any diver’s watch except the Pasha Seatimer, which was mostly treated like a step-child of the highly popular Pasha De Cartier Collection.
The well-known brand should have stopped ignoring the beloved diver’s watch concept as they introduced their latest diver’s watch, the Calibre de Cartier, after a long break.
“Cartier Caliber De Cartier Diver is one of the most important sports models that Cartier has introduced recently.”
My love for the brand is obvious... Therefore, I often visit the brand’s magnificent boutique at İstinye Park Shopping Mall. On our last visit, we included the Cartier Caliber De Cartier Blue with stainless steel case and rubber / textile combination strap to our photo shoot. Thus, we had the opportunity to put the Calibre de Cartier under the loupe once again, which we initially had our hand on at Cartier’s booth at Baselworld 2016.
The case of the watch is made of stainless steel. The model’s 42mm case is just 11mm thick, which has enough detail to make it obvious that it is designed underh the Calibre de Cartier platform. This value, which we can say is fine for a model with an automatic mechanism that fully meets professional diver watch standards with 300M waterproof value, has a positive effect on the wearing comfort as well.
The bezel is a rotational diver type with a stainless steel housing and a blue ADLC (amorphous diamond-like carbon) insert. It is approximately 2mm wider than the bezel which allows the model to look larger than 42mm, but it is also important to note that this is not that effective at creating an oversized watch look.
Designed according to the sporty character of the model, at the top of the winding crown is a sapphire stone which is one of the quintessential details of the brand. There may be those who find this detail too "fancy" for a WR300M diver’s watch, but it’s worth remembering, this is a Cartier.
The front side of the case features a sapphire crystal glass that does not have anti-reflective coating. At the rear, a solid stainless steel cover is preferred.
Thanks to the integrated lug to strap design, the optical integrity of the watch is nicely reinforced.
The dial carries typical Cartier features. The stylized Roman numeral indices, especially the large one at 12 o’clock position, adds an elegant touch to this otherwise sporty model. The lower dial placed at 6 o’clock points to the seconds function, while the date can be read and displayed in triplicate from the window placed at 3 o’clock. The sword shaped hands and indices are Super Luminova applied for better legibility in the dark.
The model is powered with the brand’s in-house movement Caliber 1904 MC. Designed by Cartier’s charismatic guru Carole Forestier-Kasapi and introduced for the first time in 2010; the mechanism is used in different models of the brand, as well as serving as the base platform for many mechanisms in the current product group.
The self-winding mechanism has a double-barrel design but despite this feature, the power reserve, when the movement is fully wound, is limited to 48 hours, which can be considered standard for a single-barrel type. Contrary to popular belief, the movement uses the dual barrel mechanism to deliver a stable power transmission by distributing the pressure on the balance wheel and hair spring instead of extending the power reserve and can provide very accurate time-keeping values.
The components of the mechanism, including the traditional Cotes de Genève motifs on the main parts such as the rotor and the bridge, are supplied from the best-known companies. It is equipped with Glycudur balance wheel, flat type Nivarox hair spring, and ETA-Chrono regulator system.
The version we have here comes with a rubber/textile combination stap. The strap is secured with a classic buckle made of brushed stainless steel.
Cartier Caliber De Cartier Diver is one of the most important sports models that Cartier has introduced recently. It is a successful model that blends the symbol details from the brand’s past with a sporty style. I would advise you to take a close look at this special watch and other members of the model family, which I believe the watch enthusiasts will highly admire, not to mention the loyal Cartier users.
