[dropcap size=small]W[/dropcap]hile watch complications constantly break new records and push haute horlogerie to exciting new frontiers of innovation, watch designs have stayed comparatively tame. So when a brand announces a new case shape, it’s a big deal.
Which is why amid new skeleton dials, moon-phase timepieces and high jewellery, it was the Drive de Cartier that generated the most excitement for the brand this year. For a maison that can pump elegance into a deliberately misshapen watch case (hello, Crash family), a cushion case is a cake walk.
The 40mm size keeps it firmly in the men’s collection, and it gets its name from its automotive-inspired design accents, such as a radiator grill-like engraved pattern and a bolt-shaped crown. Sword-shaped hands and the classic Cartier-style Roman numerals add to the versatility of this collection.
The basic steel models feature a date display and small seconds subdial, while the next-level Drive watches comprise dual-time models. The collection’s crown jewel is the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon, distinguished by the tourbillon of the Geneva Seal-approved 9452 MC movement. Happy driving.
In Top Form
A look at Cartier’s key watch shapes.
