Cartier Révélation d’Une Panthère; An Extraordinairy Diamond Delight
As a jeweler, does Cartier know everything there is to know about diamonds. ‘La Maison’ plays an integral part in the history of many iconic diamonds, including the famous 45.52 carats large Hope diamond, which can be admired in the Smithsonian National Museum. Also, in Cartier’s collection of jewelry and watches have diamonds always enjoyed a prominent place. In nearly all cases, they have a static role being set in rings or bracelets or adorning the cases and bezels of watches. The Cartier Révélation d’Une Panthère is, in that matter unique, as here the diamonds play a more active role in dazzling you.
For this watch, Cartier used the Ronde Louis Cartier as a base. This model was initially introduced around 1937 and is quite special as it is round, while Cartier already made a name for itself in the first half of the 20th century as a maker of form-shaped watches. For the Révélation d’Une Panthère, they fitted the Ronde Louis Cartier with a double sapphire crystal which in between is filled with a patented liquid. In this liquid 650 small diamonds float, which move through invisible channels as you tilt the watch. As a result, you briefly see the head of a panther appear, outlined by the diamonds.
While this has no practical use, it is visually so enticing that you want to see the effect repeatedly. Although it may look simple, it took over half-decade of research and development to take the Révélation d’Une Panthère from concept to reality. There are also more diamonds to find on the watch, as even the bezel, crown, and bracelet are decorated with them. The bracelet is especially unique as Cartier opted for a symmetrical setting instead of the more commonly used pave setting. This gives the watch an even more glamorous look. In total, Cartier uses 1,289 diamonds, with a total carat weight of 19.39 carats. While there is a focus on the diamonds, they also not neglect the mechanical side of the watch. The Révélation d’Une Panthère is fitted with caliber 430 MC, a manual wind movement that is based on Piaget’s 430P. All these aspects combined make the Révélation d’Une Panthère a true diamond delight.