Calibre de Cartier dives into the depths of time
MANILA, Philippines - People tend to realize the value of time differently. It is either a profitable opportunity or a priceless luxury; a venerable ally or an insuperable foe; a chronicle of a life well-lived, or a tragic litany of regrets. If there is one thing that is constant, it is that there is not enough of it. And so, the proverbial saying goes, one has to make the most of it while he can.
Centuries-old jeweler Cartier has long been defining — and defying — time with its precious classics, crafting testaments of how a single piece fashioned from the rarest materials and the most innovative technologies can withstand the wear and tear of age. Over a century ago, 110 years to be exact, Louis Cartier unveiled one of the foremost modern timepieces in honor of his friend, pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont. A quantum leap into the digital decade later, the maison unleashed the Calibre de Cartier Diver chronograph, putting its new-fangled 1904 Movement technology to the ultimate test.
“Cartier has a very long history and has maintained a huge interest in watch-making. So, at this point, it became natural to explore a new field and we came up with this watch, the first real technical diving watch made by Cartier; a logical step for the brand,” Cartier’s managing director Jean-Baptiste Tardy explained of the brand’s full-circle sweep from dominating the deluxe goods market to leaving an indelible mark in the high-performance segment of contemporary timepieces.
The Calibre de Cartier Diver’s entry proved rather timely, in an era of schedule-bending — and often altitude-defying — professional and leisurely pursuits. Aesthetically, the Cartier Diver’s all-steel, rose gold or twin-color exterior impeccably burnished in a fine mix of satin and shine-polished finishes, 42mm sapphire crystal display, a lean 11mm body, bold black bezel, and a strapping black rubber band fastened with the Cartier-standard ardillon buckle, make it a superb match for any modern-day corporate uniform, especially when worn with a casual flair.
“This watch is a new creation, but definitely it has all the class of the Cartier bezel. You can see it from very far away and still know it’s a Cartier watch. It has the Roman numerals, it has the cabochon, it has all the craftwork from Cartier, but still in a very new design. We always link the history and the past of the brand with the newer designs we come up it. So it’s avant-garde, yet the past is imbedded in the bezel,” said Tardy, explaining the watch’s timeless allure.
But deep in its interior and intent, it is the timepiece’s supreme performance that makes it a turn for the chrono-savvy. With its dagger-like Super-LumiNova hands illuminating its stop-second, mechanized precision, ever accurate with 11.5 ligne calibre movement, and with its unidirectional bezel marked with 120 notches for half-minute, crisp, sound-signaled adjustments, surely the Calibre de Cartier Diver represents its in-house 1904 Movement rather immaculately. And despite its fine-tuning and refined beauty, the watch comes with a rather robust barrel shell made to withstand water depths and pressures of up to 300 meters. Truly, any diver’s wet dream.
“The good thing about the watch is that it’s been tested in extremely rough conditions. It also has the ISO (6425) certification. It’s not only a nice-looking watch it’s also an extreme-performing watch. It’s been manufactured in a way that it is a watch that can be worn on a day-to-day basis, but also in very extreme conditions,” Tardy added. And where better to launch such a cleverly balanced chronograph in Philippine shores than in the archipelago’s beating heart of Cebu?
Known for their adeptness in perfecting the yin and the yang of development and preservation, Cebuanos were suitable hosts to unveil the versatile timepiece. Far from rain- and traffic-battered Manila, the Queen City’s sunny coast accommodated watch-watchers who made the pilgrimage to the country’s diving mecca.
In the welcome dinner hosted by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) in the acclaimed culinary corner of Abaca, Zee magazine’s editor-at-large Melo Esguerra proudly displayed the Cebuano’s candidness, particularly in marking life’s simple milestones. Esguerra posted the question, “When was the last time you had great sex?” to a table still recovering from a remarkable full-course meal. Speechless silence was followed by bursts of laughter.
Next day, some 20 press guests took an almost four-hour trip from Northern Lapu-Lapu City to Cebu’s southern tip of Oslob. In a short-period junket, four hours may seem like an eternity, but when in the company of remarkable power-couple Maritess Tantoco-Enriquez and Renato Enriquez, there’s plenty of levity to pass the time.
Nine cities and a panoramic glimpse of the Cebu countryside later, we reached our destination. A slew of marine biologists, diving enthusiasts and familial tourists flocked to the resort town of Oslob, largely known for its aquatic inhabitants, the whale sharks. The largest fish in the animal kingdom, the whale shark (or butanding in the Filipino vernacular) is revered as the “gentle giant of the sea,” with some measuring up to 12 meters and weighing up to 20 tons, due to its steady diet of microscopic krill and plankton.
Their regular sightings in Oslob have sparked a controversial debate between animal welfare activists and the local government due to the unorthodox methods of regularly feeding the fish as opposed to leaving them to forage in the wild. For our dive leader Bo Mancao of Dive Local Network, it is a case of weighing the pros and cons. “I’m giving both sides of the story so you can make an informed opinion if it is best to keep feeding them here in their juvenile years or leave them to the chance that they get fished out,” he said.
The whale sharks, due to their size and harmless nature, are prone to poaching, mostly for their meat. While our general culture may deem sightings of these sea behemoths as an auspicious sign, in some parts of the world, they may not be as lucky. But sizing them up may offer a greater realization of sorts.
Whale sharks, despite their huge appetites, are relatively peaceful; snorkeling beside one, just a few inches away, is no cause for alarm. The 30-foot waters of Oslob are a relatively shallow depth for such a majestic sight. With up to five of them gently swimming with their meter-wide mouths gaped open to passively feed, one can’t help thinking of taking care of a favorite pet. Patting the butanding, though tempting, is forbidden because they are wildly untamed after all.
Seeing the whale sharks up close reminds us again to make the most of our time. With the growing threat of climate change and our insatiable appetites taking a toll on these fragile creatures, it may only be a matter of time before they become a rare sight.
That was perhaps also the message of Calibre de Cartier Diver — whether it’s exploring the heights of luxury or the depths of adventure, one can’t overlook the finer points. The watch offers a no-holds-barred experience — let its 300-meter depth and pressure capacity and fuss-free rubber strap take you there.
Or to dinner, dressed to the nines — in this case, for Mövenpick’s Ibiza lounge, where SSI president Anton T. Huang unveiled the timepiece to Cebu’s luxury set. In a colorful display of joie de vivre and a seasoned flair for success, social life and self-fulfillment, Cebuanos warmed up to the Calibre de Cartier Diver like fish to water. We are all islanders after all, in a place where excitement and exploration are in plentiful supply. All it takes is a wise investment in our own personal time — be it how you spend it, or wear it.
“I’m sure it fits the lifestyle of the Philippines, being a modern country, being a sport-oriented country. I’m sure the Filipino people will love it. And you can be sure that every Cartier watch will last forever, not only for yourself but also for your children. It’s definitely something that you can pass on for generations,” Tardy noted.
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The Calibre de Cartier Diver watches in rose gold, all-steel, and a combination of both are now available at the Cartier flagship store in Newport Resorts World Manila, as well as the Cartier boutiques of Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Tower, Shangri-La Plaza.
