Review of the Re-launched Pasha de Cartier Grille 41mm in Yellow Gold
An iconic, versatile, Genta designed timepiece with the latest innovations
The more I learned about Cartier’s vast past and current watch collections, the less I seemed to know about them. In 1904, Cartier created the first wristwatch “Santos-Dumont” that went into commercial production in 1911. In 2021, Cartier was the second highest in annual watch revenue among all Swiss brands, surpassed only by Rolex. During this span of more than one century, numerous timepieces were created by Cartier artisans. Crash. Cintrée. Chinoise. Basculante. Baignoire. Tortue. Ronde. Rotonde. Tank à Guichets. Cloche. Tonneau. Asymétrique. Étanche. Pebble (baseball). Cheich. I could go on and on.
Among these elegant and whimsical creations, one model line stands out to me. The watch was conceived for swimming and diving during the 1980s. It has a canteen style screw-down crown with a chain to ensure watch resistance up to 100 meters. There is a sturdy grille over the dial to protect the glass. From the coral reefs? Kidding, as this watch is a luxury piece, and not intended as a true diver. Last but not least, the designer of the timepiece was none other than Mr. Gerald Genta. The most famous watch designer for the last century. The name of the model is Pasha de Cartier.
The daring design, the mythical story, and the Genta connection just sounded so intriguing to me! I was browsing the pre-own markets for a Pasha with grid or the travel piece with GMT and a power indicator. Then, in April this year, Cartier brought back the Pasha with a grille, to the surprise and delight of Pasha fans. It is a "One Shot" model, meaning the production lasts only a limited period of time. What a beauty, from every angle! The search for my first ever Cartier timepiece was over.
A Brief History of Pasha
The Pasha de Cartier was first launched in 1985. The model name came from the Pasha Thami El Glaoui of Marrakech, a region in Morocco. Pasha was the title of a powerful ruler, but not as high as a sultan or king. The Pasha of Marrakech (from 1912 to 1956) was very rich and a loyal customer of Cartier.
Cartier commissioned Mr. Gerald Genta in 1982 to design various models for Pasha. The goal was to make a sports watch and Mr. Genta was the best designer for the task (you know why). The designs of some complicated Pasha were sold at Sotheby's auction early this year. Pasha is among the iconic Genta designs, together with the Royal Oak, Nautilus and Ingenieur. We may see some pictures of the initial models below.
The first Pasha models were in 38mm cases, in precious metals first, then stainless steel. One of the calibers, 191, was based on Girard-Perregaux caliber 3100. It is interesting that two types of grids were made. One type is flat while the other type has a curved shape. More Pasha models were released including chronograph, GMT, moon-phase, and perpectual calendar. There were models with difference case sizes like 35mm and 42mm.
Cartier paused Pasha production around 2010, as it tried to manage its vast offerings. However, the brand had a lot of requests from clients all over the world for Pasha to come back. Thus, in 2020, Cartier went ahead with the relaunching of the Pasha product line. The timing could not better, as the interests in vintage designs were so great. The case sizes were 35mm and 41mm to fit the modern taste. More models showed up in 2021 and 2022. It is again an entire model line for Pasha.
A Brand New Pasha Grille in 41mm Case
2022 Watches and Wonders saw the return of Pasha grille to the product lineup. It is a modern timepiece in every aspect, but with the classic Pasha elegance and style. Both the fluted crown cap and the crown are set with sapphire cabochons. The re-designed protective grid, with a curved profile rather than flat, is easier to remove and put back on. It comes with a black and a blue alligator leather straps. The QuickSwitch mechanism makes it a snap to change straps. There is no option for the bracelet though. A beautiful deployant buckle prevents a heavy watch like this from slipping by accident. The watch feels comfortable, balanced and secure to wear.
Inside the Pasha grille is the caliber 1847 MC, where MC stands for “Manufacture Cartier”. This is a new movement introduced in 2015 with the Cartier Clé collection. 1847 MC powers the latest Santos collection re-designed in 2018 too. Measuring only 3.8 mm thick, it is suitable for thin and elegant watches. The escape mechanism has been designed with non-magnetic components. The power reserve is good for 42 hours, close to 2 full days. The 1847 MC is more plainly finished than Cartier's other manufacture movements. Nothing wrong with that, as it is geared toward stability and performance. Notice that the balance wheel is mounted tightly on a bridge at two points. The rotor incorporates a durable lever system. 100 meters watch resistance.
The timing accuracy of my Pasha was +1.0 secs per day as measured on a time-grapher. Timing error measurements (7/29/2022) were listed below:
Dial up: 0
Dial down: +3
Crown up: +3
Crown down: -1
12 up: 0
12 down: +1
Averaged error: +1.0 secs/day
What an incredible performance! May I say that the 1847 MC is quite like the movements from Rolex and Tudor? Plain looking yet reliable and getting the job done.
Conclusions
There are so many iconic watch models produced by Cartier in more than a century of time-span. It is a daunting task for any watch enthusiast to pick her/his first Cartier watch. But it will be a very enjoyable journey for sure. I’m feeling so awesome to bring home the Pasha with a grille as my first Cartier timepiece. I love it very much, as it just ticks so many boxes when choosing a watch to keep for the long term.
First, the quirky, daring and iconic design from Gerald Genta! Mr. Genta recalled that the inspiration for the AP Royal Oak was from memory of diver being fitted with a helmet on Geneva’s Bond de la Machine. The same images might provide the idea for the protective grille for Pasha (see picture below). Making it a removable grid was such a genius idea! The watch turns into a more stately dress watch without the grille. Such a versatile piece!
The name and story behind the Pasha collection are quite fascinating too. It is a catchy name for sure. We watch lovers are suckers for stories.
The new Pasha is powered by an in-house movement with impressive timing accuracy. There are many innovations devoted to the new model, including the new construction for the grille and the easy strap change mechanism. It is a very well built watch with the latest technology know-how.
The new Pasha grille will be relatively rare due to the “One Shot” production. The production is driven by client orders and will last only for a short period of time.
Lastly, the Pasha grille is a fun watch to own! Think about the removable grid, the protective crown cap and the interexchange strap! Not to mention the secret location for engraving that Cartier will do for free.
References
“The comeback of the Pasha de Cartier as a complete collection”, by George Cramer, April 27, 2022
“The 35-year story of the Pasha de Cartier”, by Felix Scholz, July 27, 2020
“Cartier, magic, and the importance of the Pasha”, by Rescapement, May 3, 2020
“Cult watch: the Cartier Pasha”, by Witold A. Michalczyk, December 2003, WatchTime Magazine
“The Cartier Pasha is a surprisingly quirky watch”, Watchfinder & Co., December, 2021