CARTIER, ROTONDE DE CARTIER ASTROCALENDAIRE, A RARE AND INVENTIVE LIMITED EDITION GOLD TOURBILLON WITH MULTI-TIER CIRCULAR PERPETUAL CALENDAR DISPLAY
CASE NUMBER: 12/30, 3976
CIRCA: 2019
CASE MATERIAL: 18k pink gold, blue sapphire cabochon-set crown
DIAMETER: 45 mm.
STRAP MATERIAL: Grey CROCODILE leather strap
DIAL: 18k white gold sun-ray guilloche dial, multi-tier circular date, month and day display with tourbillon at the centre
MOVEMENT: Cal. 9459 MC, automatic, 51 jewels, tourbillon escapement, Geneva Hallmark
FUNCTIONS: Time, perpetual calendar with day, date, month indication, leap year indication on the movement side
BUCKLE: Cartier 18k pink gold folding buckle
WITH: Cartier Certificate of Origin, undated Cartier Certificate, product literature, Cartier setting pin, Cartier loupe, polishing cloth, presentation box and outer packaging
REMARK: Fresh to market, retail price at launch in 2017 was €200,000
Ψ This endangered species strap is shown for display purposes only and is not for sale. Upon sale, this watch will be shipped without this strap. However, it can be collected from the Dubai office, contact a specialist for more information.Cartier’s ascent in the world of haute horology was helmed by the prodigiously talented Carole Forestier-Kasapi. As Cartier’s head of movement development, she helped the brand introduce their first in-house movements in 2008. In the years that followed, Cartier introduced a range of inventive high complication watches that caught the attention of the collecting community.
The present watch is a great example of the mechanical ingenuity that was a hallmark of her tenure at Cartier. The Astrocalendaire brings together two high complications – a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar. But that’s just half the story – the perpetual calendar eschews the traditional display but instead shows the day, date, and month via a concentric multi-tier display that leads down to the tourbillon.
The grey 18k white gold dial with a sun-ray guilloche forms a striking contrast with the pink gold accents on the dial and the stepped tiered-structure of the perpetual calendar display is akin to an amphitheater with the tourbillon serving as the centre stage. All the indications except for the day can be adjusted via the crown, except for the day which is advanced via a pusher on the case band. The crown-adjusted functions go both backwards and forwards, making adjusting the watch a real breeze.
Unlike regular Cartier models, the Cal. 9459 MC carries the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, a further indication of the quality. According to Cartier’s press release, the engineers replaced springs and levers traditionally used in perpetual calendars, with gears, to increase the reliability in the long-term. The brand introduced the Astrocalendaire in 2014 in platinum, the pink gold version with a more minimalist dial design was offered in 2017 as a limited edition of just 30 pieces.
