If you were to describe the Calibre de Cartier watch in a word, it would be simply this: masculine. And that is precisely what the Cartier design team intended. With a robust 42mm case, thick rounded lugs and a simple dial that combines Roman numerals and baton indexes, the 5.3-ounce watch exudes a gentle masculine aesthetic. Launched in 2010, the Calibre de Cartier was the internationally acclaimed French jeweler’s bold statement — and a relatively affordable one — in the men’s sports market, although the watch remains true to Cartier’s design heritage through signature elements, such as sword-like hands and an inlaid blue cabochon in the winding crown.

Founded in 1847, Cartier is credited with popularizing one of the first true modern wristwatches. Louis Cartier (1875–1942), the grandson of the house’s founder Louis-François Cartier, developed a wearable watch in 1904 at the request of his friend the charismatic pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont, who wanted to be able to tell the time mid-flight without pulling out his pocket watch. The resulting Santos watch was a commercial success, paving the way for other legendary Cartier watches like the Tonneau, the Tank Française and the Crash throughout the 20th century.

As Cartier entered the new millennium, it began producing a number of new models. Of these, the Calibre de Cartier is the company’s first watch to feature an automatic mechanical movement designed entirely in-house at Cartier’s production facility in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The 1904-PS MC mechanical movement is a technological marvel. Double barrels (rather than the standard single barrel) allow the watch to contain a 48-hour power reserve, meaning that the watch will display the accurate time off-wrist for two days. In addition, ceramic ball bearings offer the rotor protection from shock, and the rotor can be wound with movement from either direction, which is unusual for most automatic watches. For those who appreciate such details, the movement, in its intricate metallic beauty and blued screwheads, is visible through a sapphire crystal window on the back of the watch.

The original Calibre de Cartier was offered in assorted cases and dial colors with a leather band. Later, the timepiece became available with a bracelet and other variations on the original design, such as the Calibre de Cartier Chronograph and the waterproof Calibre de Cartier Dive. Although the Calibre de Cartier collection has apparently been discontinued, it remains popular on the secondhand market for a sporty design ethos that renders it ideal for daily wear.