Those who eagerly await the Cartier art pieces each year, will be impressed with the striking artistic skills implemented in the creation of the fantastic and ultra-high-end Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Crocodile Motif watch. This timepiece is one of the exclusive "metiers d'art" limited edition collection of watches, offered only for 2013, of which there will be only 30 pieces produced for discriminative buyers.
The dial makes this watch quite a unique piece, being made of natural agate which is various shades of blue that lightens as it nears the center. Agate is a crystallized quartz stone - similar to amethyst – that is found primarily in volcanic rock. The artists use the change in color in this stone to create an exceptional effect when they hand-carve a crocodile into the dial, so that the head is highlighted in a lighter shade of blue, with the lower sections of the body being darker, as it curls around the dial. In keeping with the theme, the watch includes a genuine crocodile strap. However, the focus of the watch is still the impressive hand-carved crocodile face, which covers the dial.
The perfectly round case for this watch is 42mm wide, with thin lugs that curl downward, and is only offered in 18k gold. This case offers an ample view of the dial, due to it's rounded, polished bezel; and features a crown with distinctive grip and sapphire crystal cabochon.
This version of the Rotonde de Cartier, a lesson in artistic decadence, contains the in-house made calibre MC 9452 manually wound movement, bearing the Geneva seal (which means that it was built within the canton of Geneva and follows certain decorative and performance guidelines); and features only the time & the flying tourbillon, which serves to make this offering that much more luxurious. Looking at the movement through the rear sapphire display crystal, you can see the the three "C" elements on the movement, including the tourbillon. These elements are meant to reinforce famous brand’s ownership, when coupled with the engraved logo on the watch.
Those who are not incredibly familiar with the brand – such as those wearing the Santos, Tank or Pasha watchs - may not know the level of product diversification that has been undertaken by this company. The Cartier of today is a leading brand in offering both time-honored, conventional entry-level luxury watches, as well as amazing high-end impressively artistic pieces, such as this one, that will impress the most dedicated timepiece aficionados.