Cartier Tortue XL Large Date Small Seconds Review

WHL presents a quick-look review of the Cartier Tortue XL with Large Date and Small Seconds, a noteworthy release from SIHH 2013. He highlights its distinctive design, masculine sizing, and the appeal of its petite complications, positioning it as a modern heir to the esteemed CPCP collection. This article offers a detailed perspective on a Cartier model that often flies under the radar.

It’s time to spread the love! MTF, foversta, and I, among others, have been raving about the Cartiers new Tank models, both the Louis Cartier Extra-flat as well as the Tank MC. The praise is very much deserved, but perhaps it has gotten repetitive.

With MTF having given us a preview of the SIHH 2014 introduction of the small and medium Tortue, both of which feature hand wound mechanical movement:

cartier.watchprosite.com

I wanted to focus on a little-talked about novelty from SIHH2013: The Tortue XL with Large Date and Small Seconds





Cartier dates the Tortue (tortoise) case, a Loius Cartier design, to 1912, and it helped the wristwatch to break away from the roundness that early wristwatches had inherited from the world of pocket watces. The modern Tortue XL has a highly polished rose gold case and a masculine size of 38 mm x 48 mm. The form case makes it wear like a 40 mm watch.

The screw emblem on the side of the case is a unique Cartier touch:





The dial has all of the hallmarks that define a Cartier timepiece. The silver dial, here with an inner textured pattern, has well-defined Roman numbers along the exterior of the dial and easily legible blue steel Breguet style hands. The large date at 12 o’clock makes the date easy to read, and the  recessed small seconds at 6 have a typical snailing finish.

There is a depth and texture to these petite complication Cartier pieces that is really appealing;

Cartier caliber 9602 MC animates the watch, and it is visible through the sapphire crystal case back.





It comes to Cartier exclusive use by way of JLC, and features an older decoration style that is charming, though probably should evolve to a more classical Geneva wave decoration to compete better against similar watches like the Vacheron Constantin Malte Small Seconds or Breguet Heritage.

This is a very wearable watch!





Also available in white gold, I think it sings most beautifully in the rose.

I often find myself most attracted to the Cartier watches that are made with extreme refinement combined with masculine size, but with a more classic look than is found in many pieces from the Fine Watchmaking collection. A number of them would have been found in the CPCP collection (Cartier Paris Collection Privee) from the past. The Tortue XL has all the quality and presence of those CPCP timepieces, and still retains the classic Cartier look that I adore. I don’t expect Cartier to make many Tortue XL, so give it your consideration before it is gone.

Bill