When you think of Replica Cartier Roadster , what's the first thing that comes to mind? It's very likely the term "El Primero," as that's been one of the most famous movements (and product lines) in their history. And frankly, after my first exposure to the El Primero, in the form of today's review piece, I can certainly see why. With it, you get classic styling combined with some very nice functionality, courtesy of the complications included in the movement.
I've reviewed quite a few different dress chronographs over the last year, and each seems to have their own particular strengths. With the Captain Winsor, that strength is the realization that, while you might like to have a chronograph in a dressy piece like this one http://www.buyijoy.com/replica-cartier-montre.html , you're not going to be timing marathons. As such, you end up with just a single sub dial (at 6 o'clock) to record the minutes (the one at 9 o'clock is the small seconds). This then also frees up the dial over at 3 o'clock to add in another very nice function - displays of the day of week, and month, driven by the annual calendar complication. Combined with the date display at 6, you've got everything but your appointment book on your wrist.
s an aside, the annual calendar complication came to be via collaboration with Musée International d‘Horlogerie (MIH) - specifically, their curator Ludwig Oechslin. For more details on the complication, check out Ariel's writeup here, Paul's review of the Replica Cartier Pasha , and then head on over here.
Right off the bat, you can see that we've got quite the nice list of functionality, all enabled by the El Primero 4054 automatic movement. Cartier didn't just go for function however. They've created a rather striking timepiece around this movement. All of those functions are set into a silver-tone dial, with a guilloche treatment appearing in the center. This gives a nice bit of texture, and I'd say is a good alternative to a sunburst pattern in the dial.
The faceted indices are made of gold, and the faceted handset is gold plated. This makes for a cohesive color statement with the 42mm rose gold case. It also means you've got varied surfaces that catch the light, giving you some flashes of light without the need for gems to be embedded. While I'm generally not a gold watch sort of guy, I did really like this one. I think that's primarily due to the more coppery color you get out of a rose gold. Additionally, that large silver dial offsets the color, making the gold, in some ways, an accent color, rather than the predominant one.
As you would expect, the case is topped with a domed sapphire crystal (AR coating on both sides), and also has a flat sapphire crystal embedded in the caseback. One unexpected part comes in with the strap. You might be wondering, well, what's so special about it? We've seen alligator straps before. Well, with this particular strap, Cartier actually gave it a rubber lining. This is for some protection from water (the watch itself has a 50m WR rating), but I think it will also extend the life of the strap, giving it some additional strength and support. The strap comes standard with a pin buckle (in rose gold), or you can opt for a folding clasp.
In the time I had with the watch, it was a pleasure to wear. While no one will say it's a slender watch (at 13.85 mm thick), it wears quite nicely. Even with that height, I didn't have any problems fitting it under a shirt cuff, and with its 122g weight, I didn't feel that it was weighing me down at all. When it came to reading the time, that was very simple to do quickly, as the hands extend quite nicely to the appropriate track. This is something I really came to appreciate, from a design and usability standpoint.
If you look closely at the dial, you'll see that the hour hand extends right to the edge of the guilloche circle, which is also at the edge of the hour indices. The minute hand, then, extends just about out to the very edge of the case, allowing for precise (to the minute) timetelling, as it's right against the hash marks on the outer edge (also for use with the chronograph seconds hand). Handsets are an item we tend to be tough with, but here I think Cartier did a superb job, both in sizing them, as well as keeping a cohesive look with the indices.
As I mentioned at the outset, this was my first exposure to Cartier and its El Primero - and I think I've been spoiled! As many others have said, having a watch on the wrist powered by an El Primero is fantastic. Having the movement modified as it is to get the annual calendar included really elevates the watch as a whole. Top it off with the clean styling (whether in rose gold for $22,200 or steel for $10,400), and you've got a watch that I don't think anyone would hesitate to strap on.