SIHH - Cartier and IWC

Cartier Calibre automatico
Cartier Calibre Automatic

We conclude our report from the SIHH with the Cartier and IWC novelties, which rounded off our visit to the International Salon of Haute Horlogerie in style.

Cartier presented 16 new references, with 6 new movements, 2 of which were awarded the Geneva Seal: not bad! The most important novelty is the new men's watch "Calibre de Cartier", which stands out for the beautiful design of its case and a more than attractive price, starting at €4,980 for the steel automatic. It is equipped with the 1904MC calibre, an evolution of the Jaeger-LeCoultre movement developed a few years ago exclusively for Cartier but produced entirely in the Richemont Valfleurier manufacture and assembled in the Cartier factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. We like the watch, and very much so, despite that three-digit date display that continues to fail to convince us on any model: the final judgement is yours. The Chronocentral version is also interesting.

Cartier has not only focused on the basic product range, but this year also wanted to make a name for itself in the field of complications, among which the Astro Tourbillon shines. Inserted in the case of the Rotonde, it features an original construction in which the escapement rotates on the watch face in exactly one minute. Beautifully rendered aesthetically, as well as technically.

Finally, 2010 sees the first perpetual calendar by Cartier, inserted on the Rotonde Grande Complication, which also displays the classic tourbillon with the C.

On the jewellery-watch front, 2010 is the year of the Captive, with a collection in three sizes, with diameters up to 50 millimetres!

Let's move on to IWC, which this year has entirely revised its Portuguese collection, perhaps the most famous watch of the House of Schaffhausen, which by the way turns 80 years old.

The most striking new feature (which we predicted) is the Portuguese Yacht Club. For the occasion, the Portuguese's case has been redesigned with even smoother lines and a sporty-elegant appeal. The technical features are interesting, starting with push-buttons that can be operated under water at pressures of up to 6 bar (approx. 50 metres). It is equipped with the IWC 89360 chrono flyback calibre with Pellaton automatic and prices range from 9,800 euros for the steel to 18,300 for the 5N red gold.

Also new is a new hand-wound, in the classic Portuguese case, which replaces the Vintage version launched as a limited edition two years ago and now sold out, with the Jones calibre 98295, offered in steel at 6,500 euros. Also in the case of the Portuguese, IWC also presented two tourbillons (Tourbillon Mystère and Tourbillon hand-wound limited edition), a perpetual calendar with moon phases for the northern and southern hemispheres, a perpetual with classic moon phases and, finally, even a Grande Complication (split-seconds chronograph with perpetual calendar and minute repeater, cal. 79091) worth 172,000 euros. The Portuguese range, in short, comes out of this SIHH completely renewed.

The only exception to the Portuguese, at IWC, is the proposal of a concept model of the Da Vinci, with its tonneau case now made of ceramic and grade 5 polished titanium: a choice that completely renews the appearance of this watch, giving it an unsuspected sporty appeal.

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