Watches Wednesday: Cartier’s Revelation D’Une Panthère, SIHH 2018

I’ve seen quite a few timepieces that debuted at the 2018 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, but this year, Cartier’s Revelation D’Une Panthère really takes the cake. One of Cartier’s House Codes, the panther has, throughout the years, become such an important feline that has become an integral part of the Maison’s DNA. And so, every year, Cartier launches a watch that celebrates the iconic panther.

This year, the Maison literally brings the panther to life – the wearer becomes a magician, thanks to the hundreds of tiny yellow gold beads on the dial of the Ronde Louis Cartier watch. Simply flick your wrist, and you can make the panther appear, or disappear, at will. As they say, “now you see it, now you don’t!”. So how does this work exactly? Well, the gold beads fall to the bottom when your wrist isn’t at the right angle, but tilt it a certain way, and you’d see the beads magically fall into position to form the panther’s head.

Sure it may not be the most elaborate of complications, but what this certainly makes up, is its “wow factor”. Perhaps watch aficionados and serious collectors may disagree with me, but from the standpoint of a person who isn’t too fussed about complications, but the “transformative” element makes for a pretty darn interesting timepiece, don’t you think?

*The 37mm Revelation D’Une Panthère comes 18k pink gold with 88 diamonds set on the bezel, and is available in black, with a second burgundy alligator leather strap, or in emerald green, as shown above.

Images courtesy of Cartier