Pre-SIHH 2014: Cartier presents the Calibre de Cartier Diver Watch with in-house movement 1904 MC

I would have expected to see a lot of other novelties from Cartier but not a divers watch. Very cool, I have to admit, very cool! Have a look at the Calibre de Cartier Diver …

Cartier is now entering the field of real sport watches. This new Calibre de Cartier Diver is an unmistakably masculine watch for both everyday wear and extreme conditions; it meets the challenge of combining the classical Cartier style with the technical requirements of ISO 6425. This norm, which controls the “Diver’s Watch” label, lays down eight criteria of reliability and imposes a series of extremely rigorous tests.

These are the criteria:

Unidirectional turning bezel

To prevent any accidental rotation or alteration of the dive-time indication, the bezel turns in one direction only. It has been designed with 120 notches (40 teeth and 3 points) to enable adjustment to a half-minute, with a clear sound signal during its rotation. For greater visibility, the markers signaling each 5-minute period are clearly indicated.

Display in the dark

The Calibre de Cartier Diver can be clearly read deep below the surface due to the Super-LumiNova applied to its dive-time indicators, hour and minute hands, pre-selection device and small seconds counter.

Water-resistant to 300 meters

When underwater, diving watches can be subjected to very high pressures and extreme conditions (salt water, thermal shock, etc.). For protection, the Calibre de Cartier Diver is fitted with a thick crystal, a screw back, oversized seals and a screw-in crown that ensure water-resistance to 300 meters. The watch has demonstrated its resistance to salt water after immersion in a solution of sodium chloride (30 g/l) at 18° C – 25° C for 24 hours. Furthermore, after spending 50 hours at a depth of 30 centimeters at 18° C – 25° C, it continues to function perfectly under water.

No doubt, Cartier would not present a thick macho watch, so reducing the thickness of the case was a technical and aesthetic challenge. The Manufacture’s watchmakers are always careful to maintain a balance of dimensions. They have produced an authentic diver’s watch, without sacrificing everyday comfort on the wrist, in a balanced case measuring just 11 mm in thickness. It is a combination of a diving watch and Cartier watchmaking, with a contrast of satin and polished finishes, a turning bezel coated with ADLC and bordered with fluting that recalls the interior of the bezel of the Calibre de Cartier watch. This is a clear sign of its pedigree, just like the oversized, luminescent XII numeral.

In the all-steel or pink gold versions on a black rubber strap, the Calibre de Cartier Diver shows all the characteristics of the very first Calibre de Cartier model created in 2010. It has the same powerful shape, robust case and in-house movement 1904 MC.

Case: steel

Thickness: 11 mm

Diameter: 42 mm

Crown: faceted steel set with a faceted synthetic spinel

Bezel: unidirectional, steel coated with ADLC

Crystal: sapphire

Water-resistance: 300 m

Dial: black, partially snailed, with XII in Super-LumiNova

Hands: sword-shaped with Super-LumiNova

Strap: rubber

Buckle: steel ardillon buckle

Price: starting at 5500 Euro without taxes for the version in steel