The 2021 Pasha de Cartier Chronograph 41mm (Hands-On)

Pasha de Cartier watches attest to the Maison’s unwavering dedication to creating flamboyant timepieces with daring shapes and out-of-the-ordinary hallmarks that are often shared with models from its revered collections. Cabochon-adorned crowns, crisp black Arabic numerals and blued steel hands are just a few examples. The Parisian watchmaker now releases a 41mm chronograph version of the Pasha, with undeniable sporty aesthetics. It features a rotating bezel, sapphire cabochon-topped push-pieces, a sapphire caseback exposing a manufacture movement and the brand’s innovative strap-swapping technology.

From a 1980s cult watch to a modern-day chronograph

Who could fill the role of creating an iconic sports watch with a distinctive diver’s bezel and a unique “square inside a circle” concept? Gerald Genta is the name that springs to mind, but legend has it that the Pasha de Cartier‘s origins date further back in time. If the story of its origins is true, the watch was a commissioned piece from the 1930s for the very wealthy Pasha of Marrakech. If so, the timepiece would have been Cartier’s first waterproof watch. However, there is one thing missing from this exotic origin story: the original watch. The Pasha de Cartier collection, designed by Gerald Genta, materialised as a full-fledged watch collection in 1985.

Having been revived in 2020 after a ten-year slumber, the newer Pasha de Cartier watches remain true to some of the values proposed by Gerald Genta when he recreated the Pasha collection in the 1980s. The round Art Deco-inspired design with a thick bezel, large Arabic numerals, an unusual crown-protecting device and a “square inside a circle” design features are still all present today (minus the minute scale). 

The 2021 Pasha de Cartier 41mm Chronograph 

The new Pasha de Cartier Chronograph imparts a much more masculine persona, returning with a scaled rotating bezel and a 41mm sized steel or 18k yellow gold version. The railway minute track has been transferred to the dial’s periphery, but the watch still boasts the capped-crown-and-chain feature revealing a sapphire cabochon crown and the Vendôme-style bars for the lugs, originally designed by Louis Cartier in 1934 with a pyramidical point.

It also features a “Pasha” Arabic numeral at 12 o’clock against a patterned silvery-white dial, blued hands, and a date aperture at 4:30. The chronograph counters are arranged in the regular 3-6-9 layout and offer 30-minutes at 3 o’clock, running seconds at 6 o’clock and a 12-hour totaliser at 9 o’clock, together with a blued central chronograph hand. 

Inside the 100m water-resistant case of the new Pasha de Cartier Chronograph watch is the self-winding calibre 1904-CH MC, which beats to the rhythm of 28,800 vibrations per hour and delivers a 47-hour power reserve. This manufacture movement has been previously found in the Calibre de Cartier or the recent Santos Chronograph, among others. The chronograph is actuated thanks to a column wheel. The movement is decorated in typical Cartier style, with thin Geneva stripes.

Two of Cartier’s innovative strap technologies are also offered in the new chronograph models. The clever strap-changing system built into the case enables various strap options to be enjoyed on the model. Cartier’s “QuickSwitch” system is an invisible mechanism concealed behind the lugs, enabling you to remove the steel bracelet and swap it with the additional leather strap that each respective watch comes with. This can be done with one simple click requiring no tools. In addition to this, the steel bracelet also features the SmartLink system, allowing you to remove or add a link using a push-button release mechanism requiring no tools at all. 

The price for the new Pasha de Cartier Chronograph 41mm watches remains to be confirmed. More details at cartier.com.