The original Cartier Crash was conceived in 1967, after a seemingly strange encounter. A client, who’s watch was damaged, brought it to the head of the London subsidiary to see if it was salvageable. The man was intrigued by the shape of the watch, and they decided to incorporate it into their watch design. The Crash was born from then on.
The Cartier Crash Skeleton. Does it reminds you of Salvador Dali?
Cartier’s design cues have always intrigued us, and we particularly like how some of their watches are so deviant from the norms of watchmaking. Some of our personal favorites include the Tank Asymmetric, the Tank Basculante, as well as the Tortue. These watches are not only tastefully designed, but they exude certain styles and characters as well. The Crash is no different either, and in fact, it makes a stronger statement than some of the watches that we have mentioned just now.
The Cartier Crash has always been an icon since its inception, but this time round Cartier tried to improve the legend by skeletonizing it. The end result is even more staggering, as the Crash is now modernized with a more striking and refreshing look.
The movement- Caliber 9618 MC.
The Crash is powered by a movement that is designed specially for the timepiece. As seen from the picture, the Caliber 9618 MC is designed in tandem with the shape of the case. This is not an easy feat, as the movement has to be redesigned aesthetically and mechanically to allow it to fit into the case seamlessly. The skeletonized dial also features the roman numerals. The roman numerals provides two functions- the first is to provide the gaps to view the movements, and the second is to preserve the original design of the dial on the Crash.
The Cartier Crash Skeleton from another perspective.
The Crash is truly a spectacular watch, in terms of both its looks and finishing. Despite the intricacies and complexity of the movement, Cartier has managed to apply an array of finishing techniques onto the timepiece. These includes satin-finishing on the steel pieces, and chamfering on the roman numerals. The end result is amazing, especially thanks to the attention to small detailing on the timepiece itself.
In our opinion, the Crash is certainly one of our favorite pieces among the many SIHH 2015 novelties that were exhibited. The original Cartier Crash is already an icon, but this time Cartier had managed to remake a classic, and turning it into yet another instant classic. With only 67 pieces available, this is certainly going to be one of the most sought-after conversational pieces in the year of 2015.
Specifications from Press Release
Watch
Case: 950/1000 platinum
Dimensions: 28.15 mm x 45.32 mm
Crown: beaded crown in 950/1000 platinum set
with a blue cabochon sapphire
Crystal: mineral glass
Case back: sapphire
Hands: blued-steel, sword-shaped
Case thickness: 9.62 mm
Strap: grey alligator skin
Clasp: double adjustable folding clasp
in 18-carat white gold
Water-resistance: 3 bar (~30 metres)
Movement
Casing-up dimensions: 17¼ lines x 9½ lines, 37.9 mm x 20.2 mm
Total dimensions: 38.5 mm x 21.2 mm
Thickness: 3.97 mm
Number of jewels: 20
Number of parts: 138
Balance: 28,800 vibrations/hour
Power reserve: approx. 3 days
