The name of today’s replica watch has been translated into ‘Dreams of the Panthers’, but I like to think that perhaps ‘Reverie of the Panthers’ is just as appropriate, as they appear to be daydreaming. This may be, as they say, six of one and half a dozen of the other, but some words are more evocative of a mood than others, and the Cartier panthers, appearing for the first time in a pack (and facing away from the wearer) seems contemplative in this scene.
This new piece, launched in January, is another one of those jewelled replica watches that Cartier seems to adore making, and it’s a stunner. Entirely pavé-set with diamonds, these daydreaming panthers, whose spots are black lacquer, observe not only the passage of the hours but also a day/ night complication, with the sky changing from day to night on the display disc. This is all powered by the automatic Calibre 9916 MC with a power reserve of forty-eight hours.
For those unfamiliar with this type of time display, the single hand points to the minutes, and the hour is indicated by the placement of the sun (day) or moon (night) across the sky. The replica watch itself is a 42mm rhodium-finished 18 carat white gold case and comes on a dark-blue alligator strap.
The Rêves de Panthères is clearly a formal replica watch and a very beautiful one at that, but in saying this there is something about the poses of the three panthers that is relaxed, as if they are sitting in companionable silence. For me, at least, this is the most striking and endearing aspect of this replica watch.