SIHH 2018: Cartier's Million-Dollar Parade Of Panthers
Despite its ubiquity, we never get tired of looking at new renditions of the Cartier panther.
The brand mines its rich heritage in many ways, including admirable reissues of the Santos and Tank Cintrée lines, both introduced last week at the SIHH in Geneva, but its most powerful archival symbol remains the panther. Cartier unveiled eight new panther pieces in various metiers at the show, from straw marquetry to gold beads and, of course, diamonds and enamel.
Ronde Louis Cartier The Clé de Cartier in straw marquetry.
The Revelation d’une Panthère is the highlight. It’s an interactive watch that allows you to make the image of the panther appear at will. Several tiny gold beads are suspended in oil under the sapphire crystal which, when you tilt the case away from you in the vertical position and then back again, form the outline of a panther head. The beads sink, like sand through an hourglass, into place against a black, red or green lacquer background. The watch was five years in development and carries two patents. The bezel is lined with over two carats of diamonds and is priced at $106,000.
There are two marquetry pieces: a Ronde Louis Cartier in wood and gold leaf with peridot eyes; and a special version of Clé de Cartier in straw marquetry. Both contain automatic Caliber 1847 MC and are limited to 30 pieces. The Louis Cartier is priced at $82,500, and the Clé at $94,500.
