Hands-On: With The Cartier Hypnose

This year at SIHH we saw a lot of releases from Cartier. The Drive for men was big news, but one new release you may not have seen yet is the Cartier Hypnose. This collection is the latest addition to Cartier's women's line. While the oval case shape is not new for Cartier, they have managed to reinvent it in fresh and modern way.

First, a little background on the Hypnose and its shape. Although this is a “new” watch, it is by no means a new design for Cartier. The oval design was first created by Louis Cartier in 1912, and the the oval-form watch was later put into production in 1956. The design was recognizable by its balanced oval shape and the bulbous nature of the the bezel. Originally available with a bracelet (notably an oval-linked version) or strap, it was the ideal ladies' watch – and featured a caliber 495 movement produced by LeCoultre, which was back-wound to conceal the crown and preserve the design (something that is practiced on the Hypnose model, however the movement is quartz). The watch later evolved into modified versions with elongated shapes and was dubbed the Baignoire (bathtub) in 1973.

Cartier is a heritage company with classic designs, so it is no surprise that they have referred back to the Baignoire design with the Hypnose. The main difference between the two watches is that the Hypnose features a flattened oval case set with diamonds. The case is further accentuated by an outer oval element, set with diamonds graduated in size, which frames the inner case.  The illusion of concentric ovals is reminiscent of the hypnosis circle effects you may recognize from movies such as Vertigo.

There are three versions of the watch: high jewelry (all diamonds); pavé dial with black lacquer and diamond-set bezel; and the pavé bezel with silvered dial and characteristic Roman numerals. All three versions are available in white and pink gold and come in small (measuring 30 mm x 26.2 mm) and medium (measuring 38 mm x 33 mm). It should be noted that the pavé diamond dial version has black lacquer in the crevice between the two oval forms, which further emphasizes the “hypnotic” illusion.

Unlike the earlier Cartier oval watches, the Hypnose uses a quartz movement and does not have a crown. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – it is a shame that watch brands don’t continue to use smaller mechanical movements like they did for women’s watches 60 years ago (à la the LeCoultre caliber 495 in the 1956 version of the oval watch). It would add some real horological depth to the watch and would unite past and present in an even more meaningful way.

Overall the Hypnose is an elegant addition to the Cartier Collection. Despite having a quartz movement, the watch’s historical design reference and simple lines make this a beautiful watch for women. I hope that Cartier adds to this line by creating a Hypnose without diamonds, as this would be the ultimate throwback to the iconic era of the Cartier oval watch of the 1950s and 1960s.

However, it should be noted that the price is steep for a quartz watch, starting at $28,600 for the pink-gold, diamond-pavé-bezel small version. I have noticed lately that ladies' watches are getting more and more expensive. You can see this when you compare more complicated "men's" watches, such as the Lange Moon-Phase, to the other less complicated women’s watches that I wrote about here. A discussion for another time maybe – but the rising prices of women's quartz watches is worth noting.

Pricing is as follows:

High Jewelry Small – $156,000
High Jewelry Medium – $181,000
Diamond Pavé Dial Small, Pink Gold – $49,800
Diamond Pavé Dial Small, White Gold – $53,500
Diamond Pavé Dial Medium, Pink Gold – $62,000
Diamond Pavé Dial Medium, White Gold – $67,000
Diamond Pavé Bezel Small, Pink Gold – $28,600
Diamond Pavé Bezel Small, White Gold – $30,600
Diamond Pavé Bezel Medium, Pink Gold – $42,300
Diamond Pavé Bezel Medium, White Gold – $45,300

For more information, visit the Cartier website here.

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