The watchmaker's lexicon is vast. There's a term for every little piece that comprises the Swiss-made wonder on your wrist. Unless you're one of the people making them, it's almost impossible to remember them all.
But one you should know is 'tonneau' - and not least because Cartier is making the word important all over again.
At this year's SIHH - shorthand for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (which is longhand for 'impressive watch fair of top tier Richemont brands') - Cartier turned back time with its Tonneau release, another addition to the maison's Privé collection of revisited classics. First unveiled in 1906, the titular tonneau refers to the case itself: a soft barrelled shape, and one that breaks the classic square-circle binary.
Re-issues are nothing unusual. Yet Cartier has managed to create what feels like a brand new watch thanks to minor, subtle changes: an elongated, thin design (the Privé Tonneau clocks in with a 46.1mm length) for instance, and the clean, contemporary dial. For a manufacture so rooted in history, the SIHH showstopper is decidedly fresh.
Feel yourself being converted to its left-field shape? Good. Now it's just a waiting game. Earmarked for release at some point in 2019, the Privé Tonneau Rose Gold is estimated to hit around £17,000 when its finally ready, with all information available at Cartier.
