Talk about a shapeshifter. For nearly two centuries, Cartier’s mastery for shapes – square, oval, curved or even deliberately distorted – has remained the driving force behind its design. At Watches and Wonders 2026, the maison boldly reaffirmed its identity as the “watchmaker of shapes”, presenting a dazzling array of shapely new timepieces. From the revival of high-octane legends like the Roadster to the technical distortion of the Crash, Cartier once again demonstrated its relentless pursuit of perfect harmony between form and function. Stephenie Gee reports
When one thinks of a watch, the image that comes to mind is that of a round case. In the collective imagination, a watch is, and always has been, round. For centuries, this form has prevailed as both a technical and aesthetic standard: a circular movement housed within a circular case.
Yet at the beginning of the 20th century, one brand chose to challenge this convention, offering a completely new vision of time. In 1904, Louis Cartier – a grandson of Cartier’s founder, who believed that watches could transcend their traditional forms to become pieces of wearable art – traded the traditional round shape for a bold square silhouette, creating the origins of what came to be known as the Santos.
This was more than a change in form – it propelled the maison into a new dimension and set it on an enduring path: at Cartier, a watch is borne not from a mechanism, but from a design. This philosophy not only distinguished the maison within the watchmaking landscape, but also gave it the momentum to develop, over the decades, a genuine aesthetic language in which the square, rectangle oval and even asymmetry became powerful forms of expression. The shaped watch has since emerged as one of Cartier’s most distinctive creative signatures.
And the maison is continuing to experiment in 2026. This year at Watches and Wonders, Cartier leaned confidently into its long-standing identity as a “watchmaker of shapes”, unveiling new novelties that reaffirm its ability to translate form into identity. The first of those, Cartier Privé – the maison’s annual capsule dedicated to reviving emblematic historical shapes – celebrated its 10th Opus by taking on three icons at once: the Tank Normale, Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir and Crash Squelette, united by platinum and the maison’s signature burgundy details that run through straps, dial details and the rare ruby cabochon crown.
The most elaborate watchmaking novelty in this trio is the Crash Squelette, a reinterpretation of one of the maison’s most radical designs, first introduced in 1967 and the watch that inaugurated Cartier Privé in 2015. Here, the Crash is reimagined as a skeletonised watch driven by the manual-winding calibre 1967 MC. Its 142 components are arranged to echo the watch’s deliberately distorted silhouette, with bridges shaped into Roman numerals, each individually hammered by hand using traditional decorative techniques. The distortion appears heightened, as if the movement itself has been pulled into the design. It’s a reminder that Cartier’s design language often dictates the engineering direction, not the other way around. The result is a watch where structure and aesthetics are inseparable, produced in a strictly limited series of 150 numbered pieces.
Arguably the most technical of the three new platinum Privé releases, the Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir reactivates a reference from the 1998 Collection Privée Cartier Paris, scaling up the case to an XL format. The movement is the 1928 MC manufacture calibre, which at only 4.3 millimetres in height, is Cartier’s thinnest chronograph calibre. Start, stop and reset are done via a single pusher integrated into the crown. Through the sapphire crystal case back, the finishing of the Côtes de Genève is visible, with its arcs following the shape of the case.
Where the Tortue leans into mechanical intrigue, the Tank Normale is pure design: distilled, architectural and self-assured. This latest iteration echoes a platinum reference from 1934, fitted with a seven-row platinum bracelet and a white gold folding buckle. The brushed finish on the case and bracelet is set against polished metal on the edges of the brancards and the rim of the case. Inside is a mechanical manual-winding movement, protected by a solid caseback, appropriate for a piece of this architectural restraint.
In parallel, Cartier also launched Privé – La Collection, a permanent range that brings together iconic shaped watch designs from previous Privé editions. For this first act, three watches were presented: Tank Normale, Tank Cintrée and Cloche, all with unified codes – hour and minute hands, sleek lines, yellow gold, gold-plated dials, blued-steel apple hands, a manualwinding movement and dark grey alligator straps. Each caseback is engraved with the silhouette of the watch itself, a deliberate detail that underscores just how central these designs are to the brand’s identity.
From avant-garde expression to enduring icon, the Santos de Cartier returned with a focus on wearability and material detail. This latest interpretation is defined by a dial crafted from gilded obsidian – a volcanic stone, in this case from Mexico – known for its subtle iridescence caused by microscopic air bubbles trapped during its formation. At just 0.3mm thick, the material demands exceptional precision and delicacy from Cartier’s artisans. The watch is paired with a refined yellow gold bracelet composed of nearly 400 micro-links, echoing the maison’s early 20th-century experimentation with supple metal bracelets. The result is a fluid, almost textile-like construction in gold, where technical engineering meets effortless wearability. Two LM versions offer silvered satin-finish dials in yellow gold and platinum, with another two models in yellow gold and two-tone rounding out the range.
The Baignoire, one of Cartier’s most recognisable silhouettes, has been reinterpreted through a more architectural lens with the application of the Clou de Paris motif across its entire surface – case, dial and bracelet alike. Crafted in monochrome yellow gold, the hobnail pattern transforms the watch into a study of rhythm, texture and volume, pressed into the gold through a craft process that preserves volume and evenness, then hand-polished to amplify each point’s definition. The Baignoire comes in two versions, one of which introduces 100 brilliant-cut diamonds snowset across its dial, contrasted with inverted pavilion diamonds on the case that add contrast and depth.
Cartier’s dual mastery of watches and jewellery is on full display within the Myst de Cartier. Drawing inspiration from the flamboyant 1930s designs of designer Jeanne Toussaint, it takes the form of an elastic bracelet without a clasp, constructed as a sequence of elements reminiscent of talismans. The yellow gold version pairs 634 brilliant-cut diamonds with hand-painted black lacquer lines from the Maison des Métiers d’Art. The white gold version goes further, covering the entire construction in 986 diamonds for a monochrome effect where the sculptural shapes appear and disappear depending on viewing angle. It’s less about telling time at a glance and more about how the piece sits and moves on the wrist.
One of the most collectible shaped watches since 1912, the Tortue makes a comeback in eight new references. These include five everyday models spanning small and mini sizes in combinations of polished yellow gold, rose gold, white gold and diamond-set variants. The evening version in platinum LM carries 46 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel and another 32 diamonds on the white gold clasp, totalling 3.41 carats. That sparkle pales in comparison to the Panthère Mêtiers d’Art Tortue.
Offered in white gold with emerald-green or yellow gold with tsavorite eyes, these limited editions of 100 pieces feature intricate champlevé enamel and gemstone detailing across the dial and case, creating a layered tableau of Cartier’s panther motif peering through a curtain of rain. Over 15 shades and more than 36 firing processes result in 80 hours of enamelling work on the dial. All showcase a more voluminous case profile with softer, more generous lines, and an embossed dial with Roman numerals that leaves the rail track minutes in favour of more minimalist dots.
The Roadster completes the collection’s return to form. First introduced in 2002, it re-emerges after a decade with refined proportions and ergonomics. The original automotive cues are still there in the dial and detailing, like the speedometer-inspired dial, conical crown, headlight-shaped date magnifier, rivets and screws. What’s changed is the execution. Proportions have been refined, four new rivets sit on the bezel, and the bracelet links are shorter, improving comfort and articulation with mixed polished and brushed surfaces. The patented QuickSwitch system lets you swap between a metal bracelet and a strap without tools. The newcomer is offered in two case sizes: 38mm and 34.9mm. Inside, the large models run the 1847 MC automatic, while the medium models get the 1899 MC. There are seven new references in total, with material options including steel, yellow gold, or a combination of gold and steel.
Across the collection, what emerges is a consistent approach rather than a single headline piece. Whether through case design, gem-setting, movement architecture or bracelet engineering, Cartier’s strength lies in how it integrates multiple disciplines into a coherent whole. With these new releases, Cartier demonstrates how its identity lies in the ability to transform every timepiece into an object of form – where technique and beauty meet in perfect balance – and reaffirms its continued commitment to the idea that watchmaking begins with shape and is completed through mastery of craft.
