Cartier presented during the online Watches & Wonders 2020 new versions of Pasha de Cartier. The return of one of the most loved watches of the French Maison was celebrated with two sizes, in 35mm and respectively 41mm, in steel and gold. The new pieces respect the original design in all details: A square inside a circle, 4 Arabic numerals, 4 clous de Paris, a screw-down crown cover. We have a look today at the ladies oriented piece, the Pasha de Cartier 35mm in steel with a leather strap.
The return of the royal sports spirit – Pasha de Cartier
I hope all of you already know the story of the Pasha watch. It all started in 1932/33 when the Sultan of Marrakech turned to the french Maison with the request of a sports watch that can be worn even by bathing. The Cartier Pasha is considered to be the first waterproof timepiece of the brand.
The watch was introduced in the Cartier permanent collection in 1943. The screw-down crown cap cover used a small chain for case fixation. The watch was also fitted with the guard over the crystal to protect is against physical shocks. This Pasha story was not confirmed officially by Cartier.
Four decades later, Cartier was in search of a timepiece to fill the sports timepieces gap in its collection. The master watchmaker and watch designer Gérald Genta created the modern Pasha and the brands released it in 1985. The Pasha C collection was launched in 1995. More about the modern history of Pasha can be found in this article written by George Cramer.
The Pasha case – 35 years of recognisable design
Cartier Pasha is one of those timeless timepieces recognisable by a mile. The 35mm steel case is similar in size and look with the well known and loved 1995’s Pasha C. The case has a thickness of 9.37mm. The caseband is decorated with a fine brushing. The bezel and the central lugs are mirror polished.
The new Pasha comes with a blue synthetic spinel cabochon. Under the guard, the crown itself was also fitted with a small cabochon. The strap fixation system has kept the legendary Clous de Paris terminations.
The fast-changing leather strap is fitted with a two-buttons clasp. The strap change is done in seconds due to the innovative push-button system.
Since I am already good accustomed with the 35mm Pasha C, the new watch comes with a very familiar wrist feel. Even if the watch is intended for the feminine segment (the fuchsia strap could be considered a strong hint), I liked the watch’s presence even for myself.
Guilloche and blue swords hands
As a Pasha should be, the watch comes with the well-known square in a circle integration. Another set of Pasha recognisable elements are the thermally blued sword hands on a guilloche pattern background.
The guilloche dial suffered from a subtle smoked effect towards the edge. The dégrade effect makes the integration of the black numerals more natural.
The addition of applied indexes with black lacquer fills the dial’s layout, adding an elegant note. The square railtrack holds the hour and minutes indexes.
Unfortunately for some, the 35mm Pasha does not have a date window.
Cartier Calibre 1847 MC
The new automatic Pasha is powered by the Cartier’s in-house calibre 1847 MC. The movement was introduced 5 years ago in the Cartier Clé collection. Since then, the calibre 1847 was also used in the Ronde and Ballon Bleu collections. This calibre can be found even in the Santos de Cartier.
For the 35mm Pasha, it was decided to leave the date out. Cartier justifies the design choice with market studies that revealed no interest in the date complication. I hope that the brand will still create versions with date.
Calibre 1847 MC is a modern 4Hz movement with a power reserve of 40 hours. The decorations choice reveals sandblasting, Côtes de Genève and a delicate chamfer with a polished finish. While the decorations are mostly on the industrial side and less on the hand finishing, the elegant adornment keeps the movement on the affordable side. A high-end hand finishing will increase the price exponentially. For less than 6k €, you get a beautiful watch with an in-house movement and an incredible heritage. No complaints can be made here.
Below, a short video with the Pasha de Cartier 35mm. Unfortunately, it was filmed with Samsung S20 Ultra that has a troublesome focusing system and the video is fogy. I decided to still used it to give you an idea about the watch feel and proportions.
Endnotes
As a long time lover of the Pasha Collection, I can only salute the revive of the collection. Cartier invited me to Munich to see the novelties and I would like to thank them for the nice time there. During the presentation, I was immediately conquered by the combination of 35mm steel case and fuchsia leather strap. Don’t get me wrong, I love the bracelet. But this combination was the one that knocked me over. Very elegant and feminine.
Pasha is offered with two leather straps or a leather strap and a bracelet, all featuring the new quick-release system. A great feature, I might say. Changing a strap in a matter of seconds according to mood and outfit is a great plus these days.
The new Pasha de Cartier 35mm would be available in the Cartier Boutiques starting with September.
Cartier Pasha de Cartier 35mm Technical Specifications and Price
Reference
- CRWSPA0012 – Interchangeable QuickSwitch navy blue and fuchsia alligator leather straps, 5,700€ (price in Germany with 19%)*
- CRWSPA0013 – Interchangeable QuickSwitch steel bracelet and navy blue alligator leather strap, 6,150€ (price in Germany with 19%)*
Movement
- Manufacture mechanical movement 1847 MC
- Automatic
- Encasing diameter: 11 lines 1/2
- Total dimension: 25.6 mm
- Thickness: 3.77 mm
- Number of jewels: 23
- Frequency: 28’800 vibrations/hour
- Power reserve: 40 hours
Case
- Diameter: 35 mm
- Thickness: 9.37 mm
- Steel
- Crown set with a blue synthetic spinel cabochon
Strap and buckle
- Fuschia alligator leather strap
- SmartLink size adjustment system
*Form 1st July 2020 until 31 December 2020, the German 19% VAT was reduced to 16% to minimise the effects of the Covid19. The indicated prices are calculated with 19%VAT.
Cartier Pasha de Cartier 35mm Image Gallery
