The eighties called, and they were right
By Priya Nair, Singapore ·
The Panthère came out in 1983, vanished for a while, and returned in 2017 to a generation of women who'd been stealing their mothers' versions all along. Cartier simply caught up.
What makes it is the bracelet. The links are small, flat and very supple, and they pour around the wrist the way the name suggests. The medium is 27 mm wide and 6 mm thick, steel, silver dial with Roman numerals, quartz, 30 m. It's about as slim as a bracelet watch gets, and it moves from a board meeting to a wedding without anyone thinking you've made an effort.
The criticism is fit. That bracelet is unforgiving if you're between links, so have the boutique size it properly and don't let them rush you. And at 4,950 to 5,350 dollars for steel quartz, you're paying a design premium. I'd argue it's worth it here, since steel Panthères have been holding their value better than most quartz watches, but it isn't cheap.
Medium or small? Medium, unless your wrist is very fine. The small looks lovely in photographs and like a child's watch in a meeting.