Considering their first watches started appearing in 1853, we can be certain of Cartier’s fairly long history of watchmaking. That said, most would deeply familiar with the ever popular Tank and Santos, while the Cartier Tortue goes largely missed and that’s an issue we’d like to correct pre-SIHH 2014.
History of the Cartier Tortue
Originally designed as a men’s timepiece, the Tortue was born in the early days of wristwatches circa 1912. For the years that followed, it trailed behind its ubiquitous cousins and for a time, it appeared that it would remain a small, niche collection but getting the pre-releases for SIHH 2014, it looks like one of watchmaking’s most elegant timepieces will be received some major attention and updates.
Left: 1928 Minute Repeater Wristwatch, Cartier Paris; Right: 1929, Tortue Single-Button Chronograph, Cartier New York
Not to be mistaken for the 1906 Tonneau, Cartier’s 2nd oldest model after the Santos Dumont, the Tortue is noticeably wider and more “tortoise shaped” while the Tonneau is slimmer and arguably, a little more feminine which as it turns out, as fortunate for the more prosperous (in girth) Tortue- more space meant more room for complications while the Tonneau remained a simple time watch for black-tie events.
Armed with a round LeCoultre (as in before Jaeger) movement, Cartier Paris gave us the positively sublime Minute Repeater watch in 1928 with Côtes de Genève decoration, Swiss lever escapement, a bimetallic balance and a Breguet balance spring. Not to be outdone, Cartier New York released a technically innovative single-button Tortue chronograph in 1929 utilising a LeCoultre calibre 133.
Pre- SIHH 2014 : Four mechanical Tortue watches for Women
Pre-SIHH 2014 Cartier Tortue
In recent times, the modern Tortue collection has been home to 8 models keeping with the tradition of complications- alas, no minute repeater but an XXL variants with multiple time zones, a perpetual calendar model, XL renditions with big date and manual wind artpiece.
For SIHH 2014, Cartier is adding four new Tortue ladies models in pink and white gold; petite and medium variants. The Petite model comes equipped with a adjustable clasp and weighs in at 24 x 30mm while the Medium comes in at a slightly larger 31 x 39mm and is bequeathed an ardillion buckle.
Cartier Tortue Petite in pink gold equipped with calibre 8970 MC manual winding movement.
If there ever was a sign that there are an increasing number of female collectors unhappy with the status quo of quartz movements in women’s timepieces, both Petite and Medium models come with hand-wound calibre 8970MC and calibre 430MC respectively.
