With the recent release of the Drive de Cartier, the brand once again heads back to its roots: fitting active gentlemen with an elegant timepiece for the road.

Believe it or not, Cartier actually has quite a rich history when it comes to driver’s watches, but has never been very outspoken about it.

Drive de Cartier on the wrist

In the decades immediately following Cartier having outfitted Alberto Santos-Dumont with the very first wristwatch for men to accompany him on his aviation adventures, Cartier’s male clientele was delighted with a collection of driver’s watches.

Cars really went through rapid developments in those days, and much of Cartier’s clientele comprised motor enthusiasts who enjoyed getting behind the wheel of their Bugattis, Hispano-Suizas, or Duesenbergs.

Cartier Tank Asymétrique (photo courtesy Geo Cramer)

Some of these driver’s watches were created so that the whole watch sat on the side of the wrist with the display turned to the driver, while others had the dial slightly rotated off-center like that of the Cartier Tank Asymétrique.

More recently, Cartier continued the driver’s tradition by having a special edition of the Lincoln Town Car named after it, which was outfitted with a Cartier branded clock, but more prominent was of course the Cartier Roadster collection.

Cartier Roadster

The Roadster made its debut in 2003, an interesting collection incorporating a chronograph and a GMT function. A limited edition was dedicated to former Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

Driving up the middle

The Drive de Cartier fits right in the middle of the sportive Roadster and the brand’s more classic vintage pieces. It’s stylish, it’s elegant, but when you change out of your Brioni suit and throw on that weekend cashmere sweater you don’t immediately feel the need to change your watch as well.

Drive de Cartier ready to hit the road

The cushion-shaped case of the Drive is a bit more rounded than one usually finds with this case shape. Combined with the domed sapphire crystal, it gives the Drive a real wrist presence that gets noticed.

The time-and-date version is powered by Cartier’s very own manufacture Caliber 1904-PS MC. Its dial is classic Cartier with stunning guilloche stamping, a railroad track, and slightly raised Roman numerals.

Drive de Cartier with time and date

Cartier kept this dial very clean, even forgoing the usual word “automatic” printed on the dial. I would have loved to see the dial be even cleaner still – meaning without a date – but Cartier is one of those brands that, next to serving watch connoisseurs like us, also boasts a large clientele who wants a great timepiece for everyday use and feels that a date is essential.

Complicated versions

The Drive de Cartier is also available in a version powered by manufacture Caliber 1904-FU MC, meaning that it includes a large date, a retrograde display of second time zone, day/night indicator, and subsidiary seconds.

These added complications really use the space that the dial offers well, lending it even more depth than the time-only version’s dial. Of course, the practicality of these complications will also be highly appreciated by Cartier’s cosmopolitan clientele.

Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon

The cherry on the top is the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon.

Part of Cartier’s Fine Watchmaking collection, it not only shows the symmetry that I think really gets the best out of this model, but also features a flying tourbillon. It is powered by manually wound Caliber 9452 MC, a certified Seal of Geneva movement.

A close look at the dial side of the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon

The dial features a more prominent guilloche upon which a frame featuring the Roman numerals and railroad track is placed.

The result is a true contemporary classic showing once more that Cartier still has the drive and passion to fit the more active gentleman’s lifestyle with fitting watches.

For more information, please visit www.cartier.com/drive-de-cartier.

Quick Facts Drive de Cartier with time and date
Case: stainless steel or pink gold, 40 x 41 mm
Movement: automatic Caliber 1904- PS MC
Functions: hours, minutes; date
Price: $7,900 (steel), $24,400 (pink gold)

Quick Facts Drive de Cartier with large date and second time zone
Case: stainless steel or pink gold, 40 x 41 mm
Movement: automatic Caliber 1904-FU MC
Functions: hours, minutes; large date, second time zone, day/night indicator
Price: $11,100 (steel), $28,800 (pink gold)

Quick Facts Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon
Case: pink gold, 40 x 41 mm
Movement: manually winding Caliber 9452MC with one-minute flying tourbillon
Functions: hours, minutes
Price: $114,000