I think every my article about Cartier watches starts the same way and probably always will. I blame Tyler, the Creator for that. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always appreciated Cartier watches, but back then, it wasn’t a brand I thought I’d want to have on my wrist. But when he first showed his entire Cartier collection to the public, something about it changed. It was that mix of his music at the time and seeing all those pieces that made me start looking at Cartier watches differently. And suddenly, a couple of different models, not only Tank or Santos, ended up on my list.
The Panthère de Cartier I actually ‘found’ by accident. After falling in love with the Tank Mini and the Baignoire last year, I wanted to style yet another Cartier watch, but this time something with a steel bracelet. At first, I thought of the Santos, but since the large version of the Panthère was a novelty from last year, I gave it a try and quickly changed my mind.
First introduced in 1983 and reintroduced in 2017, the Panthère has become one of Cartier’s important collections, and has been worn by names like Jane Fonda, Keith Richards, even Pierce Brosnan back in the day, and more recently, who else but Timothée Chalamet. While there are a lot of variations on the market, the design, in general, is tied together by square cases and bezels, classic Cartier dial layouts and most importantly, its signature link bracelets.
For me, it’s that extra touch of elegance that sets it apart from the Santos, especially thanks to the bracelet, which reminds me a little of those vintage styles from the 1940s. But surprisingly, it can still feel sporty too.
In short: it’s sleeker than the Tank Française, less sporty than the Santos, and it’s definitely not a Tank. Like any other Cartier watch, it perfectly blurs the line between watch and jewellery.
The large model measures 42 x 31mm, comes with a Quartz movement and is available in steel, yellow gold or bi-metal.
So why get a Panthère de Cartier, which, after its re-release, quickly became a favourite of many, especially amongst women? Well, I’ll leave it to you to decide what your reason would be. The important thing is how it actually feels on the wrist. And for me, it’s perfect. It fits pretty much anything I would wear, no matter the occasion. Sure, there’s no ‘interesting’ movement or complication inside the case, but let’s be honest, that’s not why you buy a Cartier in the first place.
The Panthère comes in mini, small, medium, and now, large. I still need to try the medium, because after wearing the Tank Mini, I’m a little worried it might be the perfect fit too… Try both and see. But if you still insist on having an automatic movement inside, have a look at the older Cartier Santos Galbee Automatic; this could do the trick for you.
More specs and info on the Cartier website.
Becoming a watch nerd? Plus a little bit of ‘boring’ history…
- Cartier and the Panther – The panther has long been part of Cartier’s world, known for its fierceness, mysteriousness and beauty. In 1914, Louis Cartier commissioned the ‘Lady With a Panther’ illustration from renowned French illustrator George Barbier for a jewellery exhibition invitation, and that same year, Cartier released a ladies’ wristwatch with a panther motif in black onyx and diamonds. A few years later, Jeanne Toussaint, one of Paris’ style icons and a muse of the creative scene, joined the Maison, designing accessories, such as handbags and different cases, and in 1917, decorated a vanity case with a panther between two cypress trees, the first figurative Cartier panther. Since then, Cartier has continued to use the panther as inspiration, creating pieces featuring panther heads, entire panther silhouettes, and panther-inspired patterns.
- Panthère de Cartier — When Cartier introduced the watch in 1983, it didn’t feature a panther itself, but rather got inspired and echoed the emblematic animal’s effortless movement to an ultra-flexible bracelet. The watch became a big hit throughout the 80s and 90s, however, the house decided to discontinue the whole collection in 2004, replacing it instead by the more sporty Cartier Santos Demoiselle, which lacked, however, the refinement of the original Panthère de Cartier. In 2017, Cartier made headlines by announcing the return of the collection.
- Quartz movement – Uses a battery as its primary power source. To create power, a battery sends an electrical current through a small quartz crystal, electrifying the crystal to create vibrations. These vibrations keep the movement oscillating and drive the motor to move the watch’s hands.
- Santos-Dumont (Cartier) – a watch named after Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who requested that Louis Cartier create a timepiece that would let him check the time without taking his hands off the controls. It resulted in the men’s first wristwatch in 1904.
