Cartier is renowned for its incredible clock work over the centuries. Easily the most coveted Cartier clocks are the Mystery Clocks, see-through clocks that are generally showcased in rock crystal and other clear materials. What makes them magical is that the hands seem to float in space – telling the time without any apparent link to the movement. Now, Cartier has managed to miniaturize the Mystery Clock and turn it into a stunning new wristwatch: the Rotonde de Cartier Astromysterieux Caliber 9462 MC.
Although it is not the first Cartier Mystery wristwatch (others include the Mysterious Hour and Mysterious Double Tourbillon), it does offer a new feat in a style only Cartier could achieve. The mechanical manual-wind movement, Caliber 9462 MC Astromystérieux complication, is entirely visible in the dial portion of the mystery watch — where typically only the hands appear.
Indeed, the central tourbillon cage seems to float in space. Essentially from the crown to the center there is the barrel, main gear train, balance and escapement — all performing a complete rotation in one hour so the the hands (on the escapement) make their 60-minute rotation around the dial to mark time. The watch holds three patents and is one of the most complicated pieces to build.
From the outside looking in through the sapphire crystals, very little of the 408-part caliber (including 188 balls) is seen. Additionally, the space dedicated to the movement’s non-visible gears and components (beneath the tiny outer dial) has been reduced by Cartier’s master watchmakers to the barest minimum – offering a grand-scale work of art and technology. Just 100 pieces of the Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux Caliber 9462 MC will be made, cased in palladium. While these watches are incredibly difficult to get one's hands on, they nonetheless demonstrate Cartier's on-going commitment to fine Swiss matchmaking at the highest level.
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