It is a long and rigorous process that is essential to guaranteeing the quality of a new movement before it goes into production. This wealth of exceptional expertise, accumulated over many years, has given rise to the first self-winding mechanical movement to be made entirely by Cartier.ĭevelopment of this completely new Cartier movement has been led by a specialised unit made up of approximately twenty people representing all stages of its creation: design, development, industrialisation, prototyping, and homologation. Located at the heart of Swiss watchmaking, the Cartier Manufacture brings together all the artisanal professions of the industry, placing the most advanced technology alongside traditional crafts. The care devoted to the finishes adorning the calibre 1904 MC demonstrates Cartier’s resolve to offer an exquisitely crafted movement that exceeds the immediately visible.Ĭrafting the components of time differently: an endless quest for quality Even the main plate is circular-grained, despite the fact that it is hidden by the movement’s components.
Visible through the transparent sapphire crystal case back of the Calibre de Cartier, watch, the upper bridges and oscillating weight are decorated with the traditional Côtes de Genève. The passion of artisan decorators drives an endless quest for beauty that highlights and enhances fine watchmaking movements. Lastly, when the watch is worn on the wrist, a bi-directional winding system enables the oscillating weight to wind the movement as it rotates both clockwise and anti-clockwise.įine watchmaking finishes that go beyond the purely visible To counteract this weakness, the calibre 1904 MC features a system of ceramic ball bearings fitted at the centre of the rotor, which ensures excellent shock resistance and tremendous durability.Ĭartier has also abandoned the traditional reversers used in self-winding mechanisms, replacing them with an even more innovative pawl system that results in a faster winding rate, thus allowing the watch to be wound more easily. The winding system of self-winding movements is often subjected to severe constraints that may affect its performance. A successful blend of technology and aesthetics, the calibre 1904 MC meets the extremely demanding standards set by Cartier for all of its creations.Īn innovative system for winding the time
Precision, resilience, and reliability have determined the development of the first mechanical self-winding movement to be entirely created by Cartier. More than a century later, the 1904 MC movement is launching a new chapter dedicated to Cartier watchmaking. This exciting development was born from passion, a taste for adventure, and a pioneering spirit that propelled watchmaking firmly into the modern era. It was one of the very first watches to be worn on the wrist and enabled the pilot to read the time while keeping his hands on the controls during flight.
The conquest of time took on a whole new meaning in 1904 when Louis Cartier created a watch for his friend, the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. This overt determination to develop its own movements, both simple and with complications, confirms Cartier’s strong intent to uphold the great tradition of fine Swiss watchmaking Manufactures.Ĭhristened the 1904 MC in homage to the birth of Cartier watchmaking, the first self-winding movement to be entirely produced by Cartier perpetuates the vitality of an approach that is driven by a constant desire to go further. The calibre 1904 MC reflects the intense, ambitious research that Cartier has carried out over the years in the field of watchmaking mechanisms.