Maison Cartier was initially opened as a jeweller, but in 1859, the company also began producing and selling pocketwatches. With the entry of Cartier’s son, Louis-François-Alfred Cartier, and then later his own sons, the company’s focus was directed increasingly on fine watchmaking as early as the 1870s. The horological milestones of the brand in the following decades are likely to be well known to most watch lovers. In addition to the Cartier Santos, which was launched in 1904 as the first pilots’ watch, Cartier presented the iconic Tank watch in 1919, and the Cloche just a 

year later.

Cartier’s most recognisable models are shaped watches whose cases are rectangular or square. This applies to the Santos, the Panthère, and the Tank, which are some of the brand’s most popular lines. And even though the striking silhouettes of these shaped watches have long been a Cartier hallmark, it was anything but a given that the company would use numerous shaped movements.

The calculation appears quite simple: If a company offers a wide range of shaped watches, it will need movements that fit inside those individual cases. However, with the number of different calibres there comes an increase in development costs. Also, different movements require additional, specialised watchmakers. It has become a common approach in the watch industry to modify a watch case to fit the movement that is to be placed within it. For round watches, this may be easily done without modification. At Rolex, for example, the Calibre 3235 is used in the Submariner Date, the Sea-Dweller, the Deepsea, and the Yachtmaster 40 and 42, as well as in the Datejust 36 and 41. But for different types of shaped watches, the casing of shaped movements continues to be a challenging matter because the cases differ so greatly—especially when complications have been added.

Cartier also uses certain movements in several different models. But in recent years the manufacture has begun developing more shaped movements for specific cases and models. This is especially true for the brand’s top references. Despite the higher cost, the advantages are clear. The use of these calibres is exclusive, and the movement and its functions can be tailored together for a specific case. One of the most impressive examples of this approach is the Cartier Mechanical Legends Crash Skeleton from 2015, with its asymmetrical case that is the same shape as the Cartier 9618 MC caliber.

The development and production of such exclusive calibres is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Like numerous other watch manufacturers, Cartier once sourced movements from different manufacturers, such as ETA, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Frédéric Piguet. The movements built into Cartier shaped watches were round or, more rarely, rectangular. The path to autonomous production of in-house movements began over the course of the 2000s. The definitive reason for this change was ETA’s announcement in 2002 of its intention to stop the supply of ebauches (basic movements) to its customers. This made it an opportune moment, in the early 2000s, for Cartier to open its new manufacturing facility in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which extends over 30,000 square meters. The first in-house calibre was presented in 2010 with the name 1904 MC (‘MC’ stands for ‘Manufacture Cartier’).

A great deal has happened since the opening of the manufacture, and Cartier now boasts a number of in-house calibres. This Paris-based watch company best demonstrates its broad horological expertise with its skeletonised watches that reveal their movements on the dial side. Although Cartier produced its first skeletonised watches in the 1930s, this type of timepiece has become one of the hallmarks of the company only in recent years. Just between 2009 and 2016 alone, Cartier developed a total of 17 skeletonised movements. This includes shaped as well as round calibres like the Cartier 9406 MC with a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater and a flying tourbillon. It is no accident that this productive phase began after the opening of its own manufactory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Some of Cartier’s shaped movements deserve special attention because they are central to the Cartier collection or because their movement architecture is quite extraordinary.

The hand-wound 1917 MC is one of the few Cartier calibres in a tonneau, or barrel, shape. With its name, the in-house movement pays tribute to its creation the Cartier Tank Tribute, developed in 1917 and presented internationally to the public in 1919. The challenge in the conception of the 1917 MC consisted in modifying the conventional, round movement architecture to the barrel-shaped mainplate. The movement measures just 12.9mm in width and 16.4mm in length and is one of the most important Cartier movements for shaped watches that have a basic rectangular form. In this way, the 1917 MC fits especially well in the Cartier Tank models—including in the Tank Louis Cartier and in the Tank Asymétrique, but also in the mechanically powered Baignoire and Cloche references. The power reserve of the 2.9-mm-high hand-wound movement is about 38 hours.

Cartier developed a custom-made watch movement for the 2013 Santos 100 Skeleton: The 9611 MC. This skeletonised hand-wound calibre measures 28.6-mm square and was carefully made by Cartier to match the dimensions of the watch case. Included among highlights of the 9611 MC are the skeletonised bridges, which at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock are fashioned like the Roman numerals III, VI, IX, and XII, thereby allowing the watch movement to function as the dial. Skeletonising also permits the wearer to see through the watch and view the movement components.

The power reserve of the 138-component Caliber 9611 MC extends over an impressive 72 hours. The skeletonised calibre reveals the Cartier Santos in an entirely new light. While the appeal of the classic Cartier Santos is primarily sporty/elegant, the Santos 100 Skeleton has a more avant- garde and technical look.

The Cartier 9618 MC was specially designed for the Cartier Mechanical Legends Crash Skeleton and offers a complex skeletonised pattern, which like the 9611 MC, shows the Roman numerals III, VI, IX, and XII on the dial side. The shape of the movement corresponds exactly to the shape of the case of the Cartier Crash, first presented in the 1960s, which today is one of the most sought-after Cartier timepieces. Although the gear train and barrel were rearranged due to the unique shape of the calibre, the Cartier 9618 MC is technically similar to the Caliber 9611 MC. Accordingly, the power reserve of the 9618 MC is also 72 hours.

Because the Crash Skeleton is offered in rose gold and in platinum, there are two variants of the movement. The effort in developing Caliber 9618 MC is even more impressive in light of the fact that the Cartier Mechanical Legends Crash Skeleton is limited to only 201 pieces: 67 pieces each in rose gold, in platinum, and in platinum with gemstones.

Another of the most famous silhouettes in the watch world comes in a skeletonised version. It took 95 years for Cartier to introduce a skeletonised Tank watch. In 2014, Cartier developed the Caliber 9616 MC for its Cartier Tank LC Sapphire Skeleton, which offers a 72-hour power reserve and a small- seconds display at 8 o’clock, directly above the escapement.

In contrast to Calibers 9611 MC and 9618 MC, the 9616 MC does not have a complex bridge architecture with Roman numerals. Instead, a transparent sapphire crystal mainplate ensures that the other components appear to float inside the watch. A circular bridge forms the centre. Suspended beneath it are the barrels, the gear train, and the balance wheel. The winding wheels, which connect the winding stem to the barrels, can be viewed from the back.

The in-house calibres of recent years show that Cartier is a true competitor in the world of haute horlogerie. Innovative movement architecture, high-quality finishing, as well as complex designs and complications make it a watch manufacturer that seamlessly combines an unmistakable design language with appealing in-house movements.