Cartier pushes the limits of contemporary watchmaking with its new ID Two Concept Watch
Today I have a pleasure to introduce something completely original and never seen before – the new ID Two Concept Watch by Cartier, a piece that is so magnificent that it certainly deserves a status of the most important contemporary watchmaking creation. Unfortunately, the ID Two Concept Watch is exactly what its name claims – a phantasy concept which is never going to be produced as a commercial series. The goal is, of course, to test innovative elements and hi-tech materials panned for use in future serial production of wristwatches.
Many of the contemporary watchmakers, such as Urwek, MB&F or DeWitt are giving their best to explore the future of fine watchmaking and to offer very original and often revolutionary creations. Traditional brands, such as Cartier, are often considered keepers of the classic values, but this new concept watch is the living proof that Cartier is more dedicated to the future of watchmaking than any other brand we’re aware of. Cartier's Fine Watchmaking Division, despite of the fact that it is just a few years old, has already come out with some truly incomparable high-end timepieces. This league of watchmaking experts also runs the “Ideas + Development” program dedicated to look on the future of mechanical watchmaking. After the first ID One watch, introduced in 2009, Cartier now presents another mechanical marvel which is the world’s first energy efficient timepiece.
Cartiers ID One watch was the first to be completely lubricant free and it didn’t require any kind of adjustment. In other words, the ID One watch could, at least theoretically, work forever. The year 2012 is even more closer to the future and it brings first high-efficiency mechanical watch that consumes 50% less energy and stores 30% more energy than any other mechanical movement. The watch offers amazing 32 days of power reserve by increasing the amount of stored energy in a regular watch-body of 42mm in diameter. Cartier managed to achieve such an amazing result not by making the springs unusually long but rather by decreasing the extent of energy used up by the oscillator and maximizing the energy transmitted from the barrels to the oscillator. Here, Cartier reaches another milestone by using mainsprings are that are made of glass micro fiber instead of metal. Check out this video to understand how it really works:
The ID Two is at the same time an amazingly beautiful watch that arrives in a Ceramyst case. The watch is crafted of a transparent monoblock polycrystalline ceramic, which is vacuum sealed and doesn’t have any screws. The vacuum sealed case also minimizes air friction, which lessens the consumption of the oscillator and results in a 37% reduction.
The case-back is held to the case by air pressure, which doesn’t allow any dust or humidity to enter the case, while the wonder of the mechanical movement remains visible from each of its sides. The components of the movement coated in black amorphous diamond like carbon, which not only looks gorgeous but also reduces friction and makes lubrication no longer necessary. Furthermore, the escapement in carbon crystal results in +15% energy transmission gain.
The future looks exciting, at least according to Cartier. I'm sure that I'm not the only one to feel sorry this watch will never be commercialized. Kudos to the Cartier Fine Watchmaking Division and I certainly hope to see this piece in vivo, maybe at the next SIHH exhibition in Geneva.
Author: Marina Milojevic
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