Among the novelties presented at this year’s Watches & Wonders 2022, one watch in particular piqued the curiosity and interest of us enthusiasts. In addition to the new Tank and the new Pasha, which confirm the very high class of the maison, this year Cartier also decided to impress us with a new puzzle.
A truly unique mystery watch. For more than a month people have been trying to understand its mechanism: how could such a timepiece work? Once again, Cartier could not help but make each of its creations a masterpiece, not only of style but also of mechanics. Let’s discover together this new Cartier Masse Mystérieuse!
Mystery Watches
Commonly referred to as a “mystery watches” is a timepiece whose operation is impossible to determine at a glance, giving the illusion that the hands are moving without the aid of a movement. In this regard, mystery watches are often transparent, further emphasizing the apparent absence of a caliber attached to the hands.
In addition to being very special, mystery clocks are characterized by a high complexity of the internal mechanism, specially designed to hide from our eyes. Mystery clocks, especially in earlier times, were often table or wall timepieces: the various contrivances to make the time display unique were embedded in decorative elements such as human figures or floral details, blending in perfectly.
A famous example is this French table clock made by illusionist Robert Houdin, whose completely transparent dial shows a floating hand indicating the hours. To make the clock even more mysterious, the dial is, moreover, supported by a transparent glass column.
The movement is housed in the base and is connected to the dial by the hollow column, inside which rotates another concentric column, also made of glass, completely invisible from the outside. The latter is connected to tie rods inserted into the floral elements that support the dial.
Romantic objects that confirm and enhance the inherent appeal of mechanical watchmaking.
Mystery watches of smaller cut, pocket or wrist size have also been made. One example is the Konstantin Chaykin Levitas, in which the hands are mounted on two transparent discs driven by the movement that contours the “dial.”
Another example of a mystery watch, this time a pocket watch, is the A.S & F. Mystérieuse from the late nineteenth century: the idea is very similar to that of the Levitas, transparent dial and the movement surrounding it.
Cartier and Mystery Watches
Mystery watches are thus often both artistic and mechanical creations: style goes completely hand in hand with ingenuity, resulting in works with a unique character. As it has demonstrated several times throughout its history, Cartier has always had a strong aesthetic taste, combined with a high degree of sophistication in complications.
It comes as no surprise, then, to discover that the well-known Parisian brand has considerable experience in making mystery watches. As early as the early 1900s, Louis Cartier made mystery table clocks, inspired by the creations of Houdin, the illusionist who made the crystal clock first presented.
In addition to various table timepieces, such as the Model A or the Portique, Cartier has offered a series of wristwatches over the years, having as a common detail the presence of a completely transparent section. One example is the Rotonde de Cartier collection, which has featured different misteries such as the Mysterious Hour, Mysterious Day & Night.
Also presented at last year’s Watches & Wonders were three mysterious ever of the Rotonde series: the Cartier Astromysterieux, the Skeleton Double Tourbillon and the Astrotourbillon, three magnificent watches that perfectly embody the philosophy of the mystery watch.
The New Cartier Masse Mystérieuse
Here we come to talk about this extraordinary clock: personally, I have not yet been able to understand how it works, what we can do is just speculate by looking at the pictures to try to understand its principles.
Looking at the watch, the first detail we notice is the transparent dial, inside of which the hands “float,” a feature characteristic of mystery watches. Behind the spheres, there is the oscillating mass, also floating: thanks to its skeletonization, it is possible to admire what is the train of the main gears of the watch, as well as the entire escapement.
Due to the fact that the movement is inserted into the oscillating weight, the “dial” is perfectly centered with respect to the diameter of the case, resulting in an extremely balanced and balanced aesthetic. At first glance, there is no connection connecting the oscillating weight with the ring case; the latter contains the entire mechanism for setting the time and manually winding the watch.
But the real magic lies in the transmission principle between the main movement and the hands: logically, since the hands are directly connected to the oscillating mass, they should rotate together with the movement, making it impossible to read the time.
Thanks to a differential inspired by the automotive world, it is possible to keep the hands in the correct position but still connected to the movement, which can safely swing, without affecting the legibility of the time.
In short, a true jewel of mechanics and style, a perfect combination of refinement and ingenuity. It took eight years of research and development alone to make this watch, which I would say is all in all a few years for a masterpiece like this Masse Mystérieuse.
To accommodate this particular movement, it was necessary to adopt a large case; in fact, the diameter of the timepiece is an impressive 43.5 mm. However, despite its large case, the watch’s design is clean and elegant.
The time can be read thanks to a ring-shaped dial featuring a delicate radial satin finish; the applied Roman hour markers, on the other hand, are polished, creating a pleasant play of reflections. The hands are sword-shaped, a typical Cartier detail, as is the cabochon-cut ruby placed on the crown.
The case, 12.6mm thick, guarantees water resistance to only 30m, but given the type of watch I’d say that’s more than enough (we dare you to go scuba diving with such a jewel!). The watch is in a limited run of 30 pieces worldwide.
Below are some features of the watch:
- 950/1000 platinum case 43.5 mm in diameter and 12.6 mm thick
- Manufacture 9801 MC automatic movement with 43 jewels
- 42-hour power reserve
- Price (for the platinum version without diamonds) 305,000.00 USD.
Final Thoughts
Once again this year Cartier has amazed us with a truly admirable creation, worthy of being counted among the most intriguing and interesting timepieces of this edition of Watches & Wonders 2022. It is always a thrill to see how watchmakers still aim to surprise the enthusiast community; a clear message that watchmaking is not just about marking time.
We at IWS can only be flattered to have introduced you to this particular watch, and we hope that this Masse Mystérieuse has enchanted you as it has enchanted us!
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