Hands-On With The New Cartier Pasha 35mm and 41mm

The Cartier Pasha celebrates its 35th birthday this year. With the help of designer Gérald Genta, the “Pasha de Cartier” (as the French say) was meant to be a sporty/sportier watch than they had in their collection at that time.

Sportswatch is not the word that comes to mind when I look at the Cartier Pasha. Having said that, compared to the watches in the collection back in the day, it really fit. According to Cartier expert George Cramer’s book, Cartier – The gentleman’s files, the Pasha was meant to be a masculine, sportive, and waterproof watch, but with the stylish elements that are so typically Cartier.

The original Pasha was introduced in a 38mm diameter. That certainly wasn’t a small size back in 1985. When compared to the Santos from 1978, it was a big watch. Today, Cartier introduces the Pasha in 41mm and 35mm. We are happy that Cartier provided us with these watches before its ‘digital’ introduction during the Watch & Wonders 2020 event that starts today.

Cartier Pasha 41mm and 35mm

Cartier indicates that the Pasha today is a unisex watch. Looking at the 35mm and 41mm versions in our office, they are indeed suitable for all sexes. Not only that, but the 41mm can also be worn by ladies just as well that the 35mm can be worn by men. Small wrists may be a necessity, but it can be done for sure.

The image above shows the 41mm version, which is slightly different from the smaller sized Pasha with a 35mm diameter. This difference is the thickness of the case, which is 9.55mm for the 41mm Pasha and 9.37mm for the 35mm Pasha. This can be easily explained because the larger Cartier Pasha has a date feature at 4.30. Meanwhile, the small Pasha doesn’t have a date at all.

Cartier Pasha in 35mm

Hip to be Square

The dial of the Pasha, with its “square inside a circle” is classic for the Pasha. So are the Arabic numerals. I had the honor once to try George Cramer’s gold Pasha (fitted with a grid to protect the crystal) and Cartier managed to create that same feel and experience with this new Pasha.

It is always tricky to update an iconic watch. However, Cartier knows how to re-create a watch that pays homage to the original. The brand has much experience in that field. There are applied indexes at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, and the blued hands match perfectly with the painted blue Arabic numerals and the square and trapezoid blue markers on the square scale.

You can debate which model is cleaner when it comes to design, the Cartier Pasha 41mm or 35mm. The date aperture at 4:30 might not be appreciated by everyone, and the 35mm version without date might be too small for those who don’t favor a date function. The date aperture didn’t bother me, and I am quite critical towards dates on watches. I don’t need one, as the date is something I only need to check once a day (on my phone or laptop) and I can remember it for the rest of the day. The 35mm would definitely be too small for me to wear, but the date aperture on the 41mm wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for me. It is subtle enough given its placement.

Chained Crown

One of the design cues of the Cartier Pasha is the chained crown. The new 2020 Cartier Pasha watches (there are more references available than just these two), all have a hidden winding crown with a blue spinel cabochon. It is hidden under the fluted crown cover. This crown cover is secured by a chain to the case.

The space under the lever (see below) can be customized by Cartier for you. There, you could include an engraving of your (or your loved one’s) initials, for example. After setting the time or winding the watch manually (for no specific reason, as it features a self-winding movement), you screw the crown cover back on and your watch is water-resistant up to 100 meters.

QuickSwitch and SmartLink

Using these words it sounds like I am talking about the latest Cisco router, but we are really talking luxury watches here. The QuickSwitch applies to the bracelet. It can be either added or removed without using special tools. Removing a bracelet yourself always remains a task that requires patience, but also the right tools. With this system, you can easily do it yourself by pushing the hidden button on the inside of the bracelet. This will prevent you from damaging your watch case or bracelet. And why would you want to do this anyway? Well, Cartier delivers the Pasha 41mm and 35mm with an additional alligator strap to change the appearance of your watch. Depending on your mood, or occasion, you can go from steel to leather or vice versa within a few moments.

SmartLink has to do with resizing the bracelet, which is often even riskier than removing the entire bracelet. The Smartlink links of the bracelet have a pusher on the inside, which can be pressed to release the link. Easy.

The bracelet is comfortable, and exceptionally well finished. The double folding clasp keeps your watch secure on the wrist and can be released using the two pushers.

Caliber 1847 MC

Both Cartier Pasha watches are equipped with the same movement, caliber 1847 MC. This movement is developed and manufactured in-house by Cartier. It is relatively small (25.6mm diameter) and ticks at 28,800vph, boasting a 40-hour power reserve. Cartier used special non-magnetic nickel-phosphorus parts for the escapement as well as a movement shield of a special alloy to resist magnetic fields. Cartier doesn’t disclose exact details on these materials or the level of gauss resistance but assures us that the watch is able to resist the kind of magnetic fields you’ll encounter during normal everyday use.

Through a sapphire crystal (on both versions), you can admire the Cartier caliber 1847 MC movement. You’ll find bridges with Côte de Genève finishing as well as a nicely decorated and engraved rotor.

Pricing

Last but not least, the prices of the new Cartier Pasha watches in stainless steel. As indicated above, there are more versions yet to see. There will be a gold option, with or without diamonds. Additionally, Cartier has also introduced a skeleton version and a skeleton with a tourbillon. However, the two Cartier Pasha watches we have here, are the most accessible versions, at €6,250 for the 35mm version (reference CRWSPA0013) and €6,800 for the 41mm version (reference CRWSPA0009). More information via Cartier online.

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