The story in a second

New shape, case, crown and movement – with so many new features, how does the super clone Clé de Carter manage to look so classic?

The big question

Cartier has an impressive track record with its geometric watch designs. Is the Clé de Cartier replica watches UK strong enough to hold its own against the likes of the Tank and the Ballon Bleu?

Earlier this year Cartier introduced an new addition to their watchmaking collection – the Clé de Cartier. Currently only offered in precious metals, the Clé marks a completely new shape for the brand. Offered in 31mm, 35mm and 40mm, it’s a watch that definitely suits both men and women, so we thought it would be a good idea to get a female perspective on the piece – from Fiona Chambers, Creative Director.

The case

The big story about the Clé, as with so many of Cartier’s watches, is the case. A soft geometric curve surrounding a circular dial, it evokes Cartier’s spirit of classic elegance while giving a nod to the bold designs that characterised ’60s and ’70s watch design.

Referencing multiple historical influences – and avoiding being shackled to any single one – is a neat trick. To manage this feat while creating a watch that looks modern is a trick that few besides Cartier could pull off.

The Crown

While the overall design of the case is confident and assured, it’s the crown that provides the real ‘wow’ moment. In fact, so proud are Cartier men’s copy watches of their innovative square crown, that they named the watch for it. Clé is French for ‘key’, and the crown is inspired by the winding keys used on antique clocks and pocket watches. Count this as another clever addition to the historical mélange that makes up the Clé’s design palette. The crown/key is more than just the type of romantic story adored by marketing departments. It’s a smart little piece of design and a joy to use. If you’re prone to fiddling with your jewellery, be warned: compulsively flicking the ingot-shaped crown (inset with Cartier’s trademark blue sapphire) is a genuine risk. The crown operates a little differently from a traditional one too, in the normal position it doesn’t freely rotate; instead it automatically aligns to either a horizontal or vertical axis. The watch can be hand wound like this, and if you want to set the time or date just pull it out and it operates like any other crown.

Cartier replica watches UK could have easily leaned too heavily on the novelty of the new crown, pushing the entire watch into gimmick territory, but thankfully they stopped short of that. Sure, the narrative of the ‘key’ is central to its appeal, but it’s only part of the story – and all the other elements are strong enough to stand on their own merits.