The Classic Elegance of the New Drive de Cartier Moon Phases

If there is one complication that Cartier hasn’t used very often throughout its history, it is the moon phase. When Cartier actually used a moon phase in one of their watches, they often preferred indicating it with a hand rather than go for the more classical disc with a night sky and moon on it that travels through a cutout on the dial. But last year there was all of a sudden the stunning Ballon Bleu with a classic moon phase, and this year the complication made it in the Drive de Cartier!

The result is very poetic. The Drive de Cartier lacks month or even date indication making the added value of the moon phase arbitrary in a practical sense. But that is not what this Cartier is about! It is about design, beauty, and being able to plan your moonlight serenade at the right time! For that same reason, the Drive de Cartier Moon Phases is also not fitted with a seconds hand. It is one of those watches meant to be able to freeze time for a stylish moment, and not let the rush of everyday life rule you every second.

The design is classical Cartier with Roman numerals, railroad track, and a luscious guilloche pattern. For some reason, Cartier can work magic with case shapes that are not round. The Drive de Cartier is no exception, with its well-rounded tonneau shaped case it is a very masculine watch, yet in the classical sense. The domed sapphire crystal amplifies this even more. In fact, the Drive de Cartier might have been the addition to the Cartier collection many men have been waiting for.

While I call the moon phase complication poetic, Cartier has not taken any short cuts in making it. On the contrary. La Maison’s new automatic winding 1904-LU MC was developed entirely in-house and is a so-called astronomic moon phase. This means that it only needs a manual one-day adjustment every 125 years. A clear sign that the beauty of this watch is far more than just skin-deep.

Although a real classic statement in rose gold, the Drive de Cartier Moon Phases is also available in steel, making it a tempting proposition for those men who are looking for a stylish statement to accompany them every day.

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