Cartier Grand Complication Skeleton Pocket Watch

This is the Cartier Grand Complication Skeleton pocket watch which will be unveiled at SIHH 2012, a piece which in the true heritage of traditional watchmaking has its creation measured in the hours, days – weeks even, taken by the craftsmen chosen to produce it.

This is a timepiece with a compendium of fine features, the instantly recognisable Cartier Roman Numerals have been painstakenly cutaway, revealing themselves taller and prouder than ever, blued steel hands (-what else?) are in complete entente with the crowning blue cabochon, the “C” bridge tourbillon – all combine to make this a striking and substantial piece.

The manual winding Calibre 9436MC features not only a tourbillon, but also a mono pusher chronograph and a perpetual calendar.  The latter uses its marvellous mechanical memory to count the days, weeks and months while taking into account variations of the months and also leap years – only a quirk in the Gregorian calendar which rules that 2100 will be a Secular year causes it confusion, so adjustment will be required on March 1st of that year.

This is a tactile and considerable piece handcrafted from 18 carat gold and measuring 59mm across.  As you”d imagine it is fairly weighty too but Cartier have thought of that and each piece comes with an equally grandiose obsidian and rock crystal stand.

The Cartier Grand Complication Skeleton Pocket Watch will be a limited release of 10 pieces with a 5 piece diamond set edition to follow in 2012.