SJX,
Bad
I agree that the Calibre de Cartier does not imbue a sense of 'Cartier-ness' like all the other Cartier watch shapes. When one looks at a Tortue, Santos, Rotonde, Tank, Pasha etc etc, one sees 'Cartier' in the balance and aesthetic. Good Grief! Even the Roadster is a Cartier shape!
But the Calbre de Cartier is off-balanced, skewed and most Oyster-esque. Maybe that is its attraction? It appeals to Rolex fans.
Good
On the other hand, when Cartier do good.....they do very good indeed! The fenestrated Santos-Dumont has always been a favourite of mine and I excuse Cartier for launching 'precious titanium' much like Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe did with 'precious steel' in the 1970s Royal Oak and Nautilus Furthermore, it has a form of DLC surface protection.
Ugly
Actually, Cartier does NOT do 'ugly'. It is a subjective term and somebody will like it eventually. In general, the House of Cartier is about beauty. But I have to surreptitiously glance at the Calibre de Cartier at this point.......
Thanks for the update from SIHH 2011.
Regards,
MTF