One & Done: Chapter Nineteen - Cartier (#defsoneanddone)

Welcome and welcome back! If you're new here, I'm exploring the 20 best-selling watch brands of 2022 (as seen on GQ Australia) and answering the question: If I could only have one watch from this brand FOREVER, which would I pick?

WELCOME TO THE TOP TWO!

Today we are looking at Cartier, but if you want to see my previous article where I covered Omega, follow #defsoneanddone or click the link here!

Preamble

Whew! It’s been a while since I wrote anything on the #defsoneanddone page. Oh well – not like anyone noticed, I suppose! A win is a win!

Trying to pin down the Cartier watch I'd want forever has been a bit of a headache. I've flip-flopped a million times during rewrites – first it was the esoteric Masse Mysterieuse, to the Tank, to the Santos, to the Americaine, to the Drive and even to the Crash.

Ironic, I know – going from the Drive to the Crash. It’s not lost on me.

It's like I got stuck in a never-ending loop of overthinking. Like Longines, Cartier's consistency in both style and function is a double-edged sword. While everything on a design, technological and even after-sales level is perfect, it makes it all the harder to play favourites.

This screenshot is from Better Call Saul, just roll with it.

I often call Cartier the Breaking Bad of watch companies: a brand that, much like the insanely popular TV show, gets talked about by everyone, whether they've experienced it or not. Similarly, even though every sign points to a resounding "YES" when considering a Cartier, there's always something that keeps me from pulling the trigger and crowning one watch as my lifelong sidekick.

I had to really take a step back and realise exactly what I was looking for in a watch. “Just the right amount of goofy,” right? This was extremely hard for me, as every collection was so well put together. But on a windless night in October, it finally hit me. The Cartier that almost nobody ever talks about. The Goofy King of Goofy Mountain. The-

#2: Cartier – Pasha de Cartier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5krxKyMcEg

Quick shoutout to Britt Pearce AKA @Watch.gringa. I did not formulate my opinion solely because of her recent video, but instead, she reminded me why I loved this thing so damn much! Thanks, Britt! Hope you use WatchCrunch again someday!

The history of the Pasha, like its more famous brother the Santos, is quite spotty – was it made for the Pasha of Marrakesh? Was the Santos the first-ever wristwatch? We may never know.

Then again, a lot of watch brands are built on this sort of ambiguous drivel. Rolex never told you that Mercedes Gleitze failed seven times, nor did Omega tell you that they never knew that NASA was testing their watches and only found out once they saw photos of Buzz Aldrin after the Moon. But it’s the idea of the story that ropes people in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0aR4tirZ_k

But that’s not to say that this Louis Cartier (and later Gerald Genta) design hasn’t made its mark in the shark tank that is the watchmaking sector of Cartier, as it is able to do one thing that sweeps me off my feet more than any of the other collections: stand out.

The 35mm Pashas – our example for today – are the ones that enamoured me the most. The almost cylindrical case profile, as well as the strange lugs and oversized integrated-style bracelet, give it such a sporty and rambunctious profile, which is unheard of for the brainchild of a company often associated with sleekness and elegance. Genta’s innovative canteen-style crown guard is the obvious cherry on top – providing that ‘uncommon’ 100m water resistance and covering the comically small real crown built for winding a watch movement that, in the early 2000s, was known only to the Horology Gods and Cartier themselves.

I assume it’s gotta be a third-party calibre of some kind. Then again, Cartier is very well-known for a lot of in-house movement development!

The design of the dial represents yet another proverbial victory lap for the lead designers of the Pasha – the mixing of the geometric chapter ring amidst the sleek hands and almost egregiously art deco numerals adds so much intrigue to the dial, and just makes you want to keep staring at it all day.

Naturally, someone down the road had to completely butcher the beauty of this design by adding a 4:30 date window to the thing, but there are numerous renditions of the Pasha that eliminate this problem, either by deleting the date altogether, or adding something else, like a moon phase or, my personal favourite, the 6 o’clock big date.

What do we have here – a colour-matched date wheel AND matching art deco numerals?!?!?!?!?!? I’m in heaven.

And though I have made it a point to not discuss the price of this series, I feel like I must here as the Pasha is so criminally undervalued for its design and horological prowess. My picks of the bunch would have to be the big date renditions, either with or without the GMT functions, and they can be scooped up for under AUD$3500. Sure, they may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but neither has literally anything else been on this entire series.

Plus, more Cartiers for me, for cheap! Hehehehehe!

In the end, the Pasha stands as a testament to Cartier's ability to risk freeing themselves from a lifetime of formulaic perfection whilst maintaining an air of sophistication and elegance. Its bold design, coupled with its intriguing history, creates a timepiece that is as much a conversation starter as it is a statement of personal style.

The melding of form and function, from Genta's crown guard innovation to the captivating dial layout, showcases the brand's dedication to both innovation and artistry. And at a price that belies its true value, the Pasha remains a hidden gem for those who appreciate its distinctive charm whilst proving that even the weird ones can excel in a room full of knockouts.

Sorry I took so long! You know who's coming next. There is only one big dog in all of watchmaking.