SIHH 2010: Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Skeleton

Richemont’s core brand Cartier is going to unveil its new Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Skeleton watch at the upcoming SIHH 2010 trade show that starts on 18 January 2010.

Besides an obvious flying tourbillon, there is even more interesting complication. As you can see on the photos, the watch’s exclusive Cartier Caliber 9455 MC hand-wound movement rests inside the skeletonized dial.

The dial, which is machined out of a solid chunk of metal and is about four or five millimeters thick, dwarves the visible parts of the movement.

Trying to make the watch as legible as possible, Cartier’s designers added a number of “spokes” between the inner and outer parts of the dial to serve as hour indices. However, that was a terrible mistake. Every “spoke” is made in the same style as Roman numeral “I”, so at 12 o’clock, we now see an impossible number of IXIV, instead of XII.

Well, that is, perhaps, watch’s only problem, since it leaves an impression of a very well-balanced job. Even the winding crown with its blue jewel cabochon looks pretty much in place here.

Cartier plans to limit Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Skeleton watch’s production at only 100 watches significantly increasing its future value on collector’s market.

Photos: Cartier

Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Skeleton watch specification

Price range: N/A
Movement: Cartier Caliber 9455 MC, manual
Complications: Flying tourbillon
Power reserve: N/A
Case material: Stainless steel
Case size: 45 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Skeletonized
Water resistance: N/A
Strap: Leather
Crystal: Sapphire