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28 March 2024

Timeless appeal from Cartier

The new Cartier watch will be available in the UAE from October

Published
By Reena Amos Dyes

Until now Cartier had only been known for the beautiful jewellery and jewellery watches made by it. But now the company has proved to the world that it has the beauty and the brains too, by winning the coveted Geneva Seal hallmark for the Ballon bleu de Cartier Flying Tourbillon watch.

This seal of Swiss approval allows Cartier to stand among the best watchmakers of the world.

Priced at around Dh340,000, the Ballon bleu de Cartier Flying Tourbillon which was presented at the prestigious Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie held in Geneva in April this year, is the first watch by the company to bear the seal.

Patrick Normand, Managing Director of Cartier Middle East and South Asia told Emirates Business: "The House of Cartier, one of the world's most prestigious watch-making firms, has opened a new chapter in its history by joining the extremely select group of watch manufactures certified to display the Geneva Seal, considered as the symbol of watch-making perfection.

"This highly sought-after stamp seals the installation of Cartier watch-making in Geneva, where its master craftsmen have developed and crafted the calibre 9452 MC that now bears this greatly coveted certification."

The watch, which should be available in the UAE from October, is a large timepiece with a diameter of 46mm, a 9452 MC calibre and an exceptional flying tourbillon.

Instead of placing the tourbillon carriage in its traditional position, protected between the bridges and the main plate of the movement, the tourbillon on the Ballon bleu de Cartier watch has been designed in order to maximise its aesthetic appeal. The tourbillon carriage seems to 'fly' over the bridges and appears to float freely above the dial.

Normand said: "This choice, more aesthetic in its appeal but technically also more risky, led our master watchmakers to pay particular attention to the design of the tourbillon carriage to provide it with the same level of shock resistance as a traditional tourbillon."

The Ballon bleu de Cartier Flying Tourbillon is a watch that combines the watchmaking traditions of Geneva with the modernity of a masculine, elegant and graphical design. Cased in 18 carat pink gold, the watch's circular grained crown is set with a sapphire cabochon.

It has a transparent case-back with sapphire crystal, a galvanic, slate-coloured guilloché dial, sun-ray open-worked grid with Roman numerals, sword-shaped blued steel hands.

The watch comes with a brown alligator strap with dual adjustment folding clasp in 18 carat pink gold.

A succession of levels, slate-grey guilloché dial highlighted by an open-worked grid for the minutes, all these effects of contrasts and transparency, of solid and open spaces, and depths of field, bring time into a new perspective.

Normand said: "Cartier itself is not just a name but a House gathering a history, a culture, a spirit, a craftsmanship…Hence Cartier House has always been synonymous with perfection, artistic creation, savoir-faire, and craftsmanship.

"So whether its creations fall under jewellery, timepieces, or even accessories, Cartier's creations should reflect these aspects in every way. The Ballon bleu de Cartier is truly an instrument of high watchmaking, an unmistakable Cartier creation, that we are really proud of."