A Closer Look at the Cartier Limited-Edition Masse Mystérieuse Watch

The brand Cartier was established in 1847 after the founder Louis-Francois Cartier acquired a small Parisian store that belonged to his master, who mentored him in watchmaking. Cartier embarked on a road to develop his brand from that humble start, which has become a multinational company for luxury goods with over 270 boutiques globally. All over the brand, Cartier is known for the exceptional jewelry and watches that it produces, which has extended to leather goods and perfumes. Since 2007, the team at Cartier has created an exciting collection of forty different types of watches, from the basic 1904MC to a masterpiece high-end 9406MC. All these watches have been released in quick succession. This write-up will pay attention to the Cartier Limited-Edition Masse Mystérieuse Watch.

History

Cartier watch history is dated back over one hundred and ten years when this company began making clocks in 1912, which was christened Model A. According to Hodinkee, many people associate this watch to a car model that shares a name with it, this watch consumers could order any color that they like. An actual magician designed it called Jean Eugene Robert Houdin, a guy many consider the father of watchmaking. This piece was created for Cartier, and it became the first of many variations. It was a collaboration that was closely held that even Cartier Boutique staff were not part of. As the company continued to progress, it advanced in production with knocking evocative expressive watches. The company portfolio included fascinating pieces such as the Tank Asymetrique, Cloche de Cartier, Rotonde de Cartier, and Crash Skeleton. Over the years, Cartier has managed successfully to walk the fine line between traditional craftsmanship, refined elegance, and an unbridled push for modernity and creativity. The designer of Cartier watches loves illusion and mystery. Therefore, when they introduce a new piece in the market for consumers to buy, they keep some of their secrets and let you puzzle out how the watches are working. That element of leaving wild gazes was also captured when they developed the new Cartier Limited-Edition Masse Mystérieuse Watch.

Basic Features

Going through the elementary features first, the watch has a wide platinum case of about 43.5 mm that is fully polished to give it an excellent finish. According to Mono Chrome, the watch itself has a height of 12.64 mm, making it a relatively large piece of chronometer.

Watch Crown

The Masse Mystérieuse Watch crown has been created using ruby cabochon, which is well identified worldwide as a Cartier signature. A sapphire crystal shields both sides of this masterpiece creation. The disk of this watch is the core of the anonymous dial concept that is a puzzle that allows a full view of the Cartier Limited-Edition Masse Mystérieuse Watch; it is one of a kind movement that acts as a crucial part of the watch gear train to connect the movement to the crown through a hidden side of gear placed inside the outer hour’s ring. The watch has a slim polished Roman sword hand. These hands are also purely carter traditional design. They create a minimal and refined look to give the movement part an intricacy so that it may shine through unimpeded. Cartier boasts that the in-house 9801 MC automatic movement that this watch operates with is a product that took their designers eight years to design and develop. This dedication from the team produced an undeniably dramatic result. The whole movement part, such as the mainspring, bridges, gear train, and escapement, all of them without including the hidden gears in the watch, joins to the watch crown. According to A blog to Watch, the crown is encased to its own skeleton winding rotor. This indicates that the entire watch movement revolves on a central axis. However, when the watch wearer turns its wrist, it will create another conversation with the watch hanging spectacularly as the entire movement will begin to reposition itself. This also makes another set of unique engineering tests.

Minute spin movement

The contingency measure that Cartier has taken to arrest the problem of minute hand spin challenge that watch owners complain about was designing a unique limited-slip differential system. This is different from the one you will find in a car. Time is indicated by the watch pair of central hands, one for the minutes and the other for hours. On the outer edge of the dial, you will spot the chapter ring that the designer has applied Roman hour numerals, which is paired with a subtle minute track.

The 9801 MC

The 9801 MC is a solution to the spinning concern that affected the watch’s balance wheel. This was arguably a more complex issue that led to the watch starting to move at varying speeds in all directions, and it was designed to ensure that the balance wheel maintains the desired vertical position. The 9801 MC gives the watch an efficiently futuristic look with the designer web-like skeleton bridges that have been placed on the finishing with circular brushing and language on top of the frosted matte main plate and radially brushed wheels. Despite the fact that the 9801 MC has a rugged appearance, it is crucial in offering the watch a middle-of-the-road performance.

Power Reserves

The Cartier Limited-Edition Masse Mystérieuse Watch uses 43 jewels and has a 42-hour power reserve to keep the watch frequency movement of 28,800 BPH beat rate.

Watch Strap

Cartier has fitted the watch with a nice finish of Masse Mysterieuse’s unique alligator leather strap of charcoal gray.

Final Verdict

Cartier has designed the Cartier Limited Edition Masse Mystérieuse Watch with a genuinely innovative movement concept that gives this watch a visual flair style. This fantastic art creation brings a revolutionary spirit and timeless quality to the often restless modernist Haute Horlogerie arms race. The production of these watches was limited to only 30 pieces. You can order a piece from only authorized dealers of the company. The retail price stands at $250,000 to the press release. For more details about it, please log into the Cartier website.