Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXI

9 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I O ne of the standout timepieces in Geneva this January at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) was undoubtedly the Clé de Cartier Automatic Skeleton Watch Calibre 9621 MC. Cartier never fail to surprise and impress but this superlative watch really makes an impact. Skeleton and skeletonised watches have existed for centuries, and due to the inherent difficulty in their creation, the craft is one of the most lauded in the world of haute horlogerie. The two forms are differentiated in the stages of conception and construction. Skeletonising means the stripping away of metal from a classical watch movement, either by hand or machine, whereas a skeleton watch is devised from the drawing board as such. The architecture of the calibre and the bridges and plates are developed with open aesthetics in mind from the design stage onwards. According to Cartier, “The function of the skeleton movement is to display the beauty of the movement. Cartier watchmakers have achieved a tremendous feat of craftsmanship by creating a skeletonmovement with bridges in the shape of Roman numerals to indicate the time. This rare accomplishment therefore gives a skeleton comprising indices and Roman numerals excellent legibility and innovative design.” The apparent emptiness of skeleton movements belies the challenging task of creating them, and Cartier have gone a step further with the Clé de Cartier Automatic Skeleton Watch because now, for the first time, Cartier’s master watchmakers have developed an automatic movement with a self-winding rotor that merges naturally into the architecture, rather than manual wind movement. Cartier says, “The challenge here was to skeletonise the oscillating weight and to make it invisible, while conserving the winding efficiency. This feat was achieved by establishing a judicious balance between its thickness and diameter, determining the optimumweight of the 22-carat gold rotor.” The Clé de Cartier model was only created in 2015, so to enhance the line just one year later with an invisible rotor is an immense achievement. The name Clé, which means key, refers to the crown, the shape and clicking action of which are inspired by traditionally wound clocks. This new Clé de Cartier Skeleton 9612 MC is a shining example of Cartier ingenuity. With its case of rare palladium, a 48-hour power reserve, the signature blue sapphire set in the crown, or key, sword-shaped hands in blue steel and a black alligator leather strap, it is unmistakably, inimitably, Cartier. The Clé de Cartier Automatic Skeleton is also available in a brilliant-cut gem-set version.