From the shape-maker, the three icons have been beguiling their fans for over a century
The year 2026 is the year Cartier celebrates its 10th Anniversary of their precious collection, the 10th Opus Cartier Privè, unveiled at the Watches & Wonders 2026 recently. The Maison decided to pull out all the stops and gave us not one, not two, but three classic icons for our perusal: the Tank Normale, the Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir and the Crash Squelette. Each of them has its own history and legendary story to tell, and let’s see what they have to reveal over the two pages.
The current edition bears the replica of the original Tank Normale, its clean lines and no-nonsense aesthetics, which conveys their robust nature with a touch of puritanical sophistication. The square dial is flanked by a brancard on each side and secured on top and bottom by a reinforcement bar each. The silvered opaline dial is decorated with Cartier’s iconic burgundy transferred Roman numerals hour markers with a square Chemin de Fer minute markers in the centre. Anchoring the dial are their steel blue hours and minutes hands in the centre. Beneath the opaline dial lies the Calibre 070, hand-wound movement created in partnership with Le Temp Manufacture, with 38 hours of power reserve. The slim profile with 32.6mm X 25.7mm dimensions made it an extremely elegant watch at the same. It is only just, the case is made of platinum and paired with a matching platinum bracelet. Nothing but the best for the Privè Collection.
In the sea of round watches, after the world of wristwatches took hold of most of the genteel society, pioneered by Cartier with its Santos Dumont, which were adapted from the readily available round movement, they were all round. In 1912, he designed the Tortue. The classic shape was inspired by the shape of a tortoise shell, basically a round shape but stretched and elongated, resulting in a new shape altogether. The simplicity of the geometric lines lent itself to a sporty demeanour. The aesthetics of the Tortue Chronograph Monopoussoir adhere very closely to the original, which was launched in 1928. This rare vintage gem still shines endearingly like it did when it was first launched.
The watch has a silvered opaline dial with a round minute with hour burgundy transfer indexes on the outer flange with rhodium-finished applied hour markers. The two sub-dials with the 30-minute chrono counter at three o’clock and a continuous seconds counter at nine o’clock, and the indicator in blue steel matching the central hours, minutes and chrono seconds Breguet hands. The movement below the dial is a hand-wound manufacture Calibre 1928 MC launched in 2024, a nod to its debut. The vintage aesthetics are encased in the precious platinum case with 43.7mm x 34.8mm dimensions.
The latest version of the 10th Opus Privè Collection Crash Squellet followed closely to all aesthetic code of the original Crash, but with a twist, an all-new skeletonised asymmetrical dial with cut-out Roman Numeral’s hours markers fanned out in six to 12 o’clock from the main bridge which houses 142 components in a smallest of real-estate allowed, is introduced for 2026, and accompanied by the blue steel hour and minute hands. The amazing thing is, even with the newly designed skeleton dial, the aesthetics still managed to capture that vintage mood and yet capture the spirit of today; we just swing differently now. This masterpiece definitely showcases the fine savoir-faire of the Maison today. The skeleton hand-wound Manufacture Calibre 1967 MC (denoting the year Crash was born) that powers the exquisite timepiece is housed in a 45.34mm x 25.18mm platinum case, which can be viewed through a dome sapphire crystal, which in itself is an art.
The triptych of vintage beauties is indeed a timeless piece, which exudes that bygone era that seems to linger vividly and effortlessly into the 21st Century, making fans swoon over them and attracting new fans who share the same appreciation of excellence.
