No Reserve: Womens Cartier Roadster Ref. 2675

The History

Cartier, the famed jewelry and watch house, was founded by Louis-François Cartier. Louis apprenticed under master watchmaker Adolphe Picard and after years of apprenticeship he went on to buy the business from Picard in 1847. Early on he expanded the business from watches to include jewelry as well. Even then he valued quality above all else in both timepieces and jewels. It wasn’t until Louis Cartier’s son Alfred joined the business, coupled with the Paris Commune, which allowed Alfred to buy jewelry from aristocrats for pennies on the dollar, that the company’s name took hold with the French elite.

For us watch folks, 1903 was the year that Cartier would make their stamp on the watch world with their first men’s wristwatch. The watch was commissioned for a close friend of Alfred’s named Alberto Santos-Dumont. Dumont was a pioneer in aviation and wanted a wristwatch for use in flying. The square watch that was created would bear his name and still does to this day.  In the years to come Cartier would establish a partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre and release the famed Tank. From there on out Cartier and watches would become synonymous with each other.

The Reference

Released in 2001, the Cartier Roadster is a relative newcomer in the broader Cartier lineup. As a reference, Cartier has been producing a version of the Santos since 1903 and a version of the tank since 1917. The Roadster is a bit of a shapeshifter, which is to say that it walks the line between being a dress watch and a sports watch in a way that few watches from Cartier’s collection, nay watches from any company, can do well. This watch nails it. The case shape and dial are on the dressier side, the lugs, bracelet, and water resistance scream sporty, and somehow it all comes together seamlessly. All of this is just to say that it will look just as good with a workout set as it does with your Friday night outfit. Unfortunately, Cartier stopped producing the Roadster in 2012, but we have a feeling that like many other Cartier collections, the Roadster will be back in the lineup in due time.

The Case and Bracelet

The 32mm stainless steel case is in very good condition with only minor surface level scratches to note. The bracelet is in matching condition and will fit a 6 inch wrist. The crystal is scratch free. Our favorite part of the case has to be the integrated date magnification window that is almost molded into the crown. It’s all in the details.

The Dial and Hands

The dial is classic Cartier and the condition is excellent with no faults to note. The silver dial is presented in two layers with the outer layer showing an elliptical pattern and the classic roman numerals while the lower internal bezel shows the just as classic railroad track.

The Movement

This watch features a Cartier quartz movement. The watch is currently running well. The service history is unknown.

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