Hands-On: The Cl de Cartier Women's Collection

May 27, 2015

It is not news that Cartier released their new collection, Cl de Cartier, earlier this year. HODINKEE actually did a wonderful review on the men's collection in February C however I want to further explore the womens pieces in the collection. You may have noticed that womens watches are having a moment. With brands focusing the majority of their marketing towards attracting female buyers, women are wearing watches more than ever. Additionally, fashion editorials are featuring wristwatches in more advertisements and accessory spreads than in previous years, and not just womens watches, men's watches C think pink-gold AP Royal Oaks and Panerais. Cartier is one of the most influential and recognizable brands in the industry and has a rich history of producing classic womens watches. The chances are very high that Cartier was the first watch brand that you ever heard of C that or Rolex. I remember seeing my very first watch advertisement for the Cartier Tank Fran?aise in stainless steel when I was 16 and I was hooked. It was the epitome of classic and cool (but feminine) and I was fortunate enough to receive one for my 18th birthday C and I cherished it until it was unceremoniously stolen eight years later (womp womp). Once I started learning more about watches, I realized that maybe my tanks quartz movement wasnt so awesome, but I still had a soft spot for Cartier from a design standpoint and maintained a loyalty to the brand. They have a way of marrying form and function effortlessly, which is exactly what female watch buyers are looking for.Finding a substantial and functional wristwatch with an automatic movement for women is tricky these days. A number of brands, such as Breguet and Jaquet Droz, do not shy away from complicated womens wristwatches. Although they are beautiful to look at, they are often too delicate to wear everyday. This is where Cartier succeeds. So, you can imagine how delighted I was to see that they had released the new Cl de Cartier collection. With the ovoid case and stepped hooded lugs, the watches are reminiscent of a vintage Omega Flightmaster. It is practical, elegant, and has an automatic movement in all of the mens and all of the womens versions. The womens collection comes in 21 different variations of white, pink, or yellow gold (all with an understated pav diamond-set bezel), with a leather strap or bracelet, and range in diameters from 31-40 mm. Additionally, there is one version with a bracelet in white gold with pav diamonds set throughout. The one featured here is in pink gold with a pav diamond-set bezel and a 35 mm case. The watch wears very nicely and lies flush on the wrist. The heft of the watch is impressive without being bulky. The silvered guilloch dial with large blue Roman numerals and date at 6 o'clock is easy to read. The sapphire-set crown-key, or cl, is a neat new feature that is the signature of the collection. It is nice to see an updated version of the traditional cabochon sapphire-set crown seen on earlier Cartier models. But what is most exciting is the sapphire crystal case back displaying the new in-house caliber 1847 MC automatic movement complete with full-size rotor C no micro-rotors here! In addition, I wouldnt rule out the possibility of women rocking the mens white-gold version with bracelet (as seen in the picture below). The 40 mm case is not as bulky as one might think due to the curved lines. The 35 mm Cl de Cartier in pink gold with a pav diamond-set bezel is priced at $30,000. For more information, visit the Cartier website.