Ronde Louis Cartier Straw and Gold Marquetry Watch

The panther - the symbol of Cartier since 1914 – comes to life on the dial of this Ronde Louis Cartier watch thanks to some 65 elements in white, yellow or pink gold, each individually hand-shaped then satin-polished. This is the first time Cartier's artisans have created marquetry with precious metal, using skills learned from the Parisian house's jewellers. Seventy-five blades of straw in various sizes and 11 colours complete the design. In a precious mise en abyme, yellow gold wires are embedded in certain blades for an impression of depth and dimension. Adding to this already complex execution, Cartier "plays with fire" and uses enamel to introduce further nuance and detail to the panther's coat and eye. As for the spots in the background, they are miniature-painted onto the dial. The movement is the in-house 430 MC calibre with manual winding. Painstakingly crafted for more than 100 hours, including 97 hours for the dial alone, each watch is part of a limited and numbered edition of 30 pieces.