We study the styling of the Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Chronograph and test its in-house movement in this review from the WatchTime archives. Original photos are by OK-Photography.
At first look, $9,050, the price of the Rotonde de Cartier Chronograph, seems to be a lot to pay for a steel chronograph. But it?s only a little higher than the cost of a Zenith El Primero or an IWC Portugieser chronograph. And while we?re comparing: the El Primero is a half century old already, and the ETA 7750 that runs the comparable Portugieser chronograph is almost that old and isn?t an in-house movement. Cartier unveiled its 1904-CH MC, the caliber inside the Rotonde de Cartier Chronograph, in 2013. Unlike the El Primero, it has a stop-seconds function. And although it doesn?t have a running seconds hand, its dial looks well balanced thanks to elapsed-time counters at 3 and 9 o?clock.
The 1904-CH MC is made so that the chronograph?s central elapsed-seconds hand can also be used as a running seconds hand. The two barrels maintain a constant level of drive torque independently of the winding status of their mainsprings, which ensures rate stability and precision. Our rate measurements show that the good rate continues when the chronograph is running. The results remain more or less identical after the watch has been allowed to run for 24 hours without additional winding. If the Rotonde de Cartier Chronograph is worn regularly, it will usually have fully wound mainsprings. The rotor, which tu...