You will have to have been very very good to receive one of these two horological masterpieces from Cartier this Christmas. Cartier has ensured that Santa only has 100 of the Calibre de Cartier to give away and a mere 50 of the Tourbillon and Crocodile Geneva Seal watch. Both are of course exceptional watches.

Calibre de Cartier, Calibre 9451 MC

This distinctive Cartier timepiece is powered by the new calibre 9451 MC movement housed in an imposing 47 mm case that offers a fitting framework for its technical creativity. Its refined silhouette is punctuated by a satin-brushed and polished double shoulder, which protects the octagonal crown from any shocks that could interfere with the watch’s operation.

The spectacular Tourbillon, named the Astrotourbillon, has three special features that make it unique.

First, its carriage is positioned in the centre of the movement and relies on a special rotational axis. This involved redesigning the entire gear train, from the twin barrels of the movement to the hours and minutes displays.

Second, the balance and the escape wheel are not on the same rotational axis as the carriage. They are set to one side of the carriage, in linear alignment with its rotational axis.

And last but not least the tourbillon carriage is positioned “above” the movement between two dials, instead of being directly integrated into the movement like a classic tourbillion.

Tourbillon and Crocodile Geneva Seal watch, calibre 9458 MC

Unlike in Peter Pan where the crocodile swallowed the time, here a white gold crocodile with emerald eyes guards the time. The reptile is presented along with a bed of water lilies in translucent red and white enamel.

This beautiful new timepiece amply demonstrates Cartier’s proud heritage of combining exquisite jewellery with expert watch making. The 44.5mm case is crafted in rhodium-plated 18K white gold. It incorporates a circular-grained crown in the same material and set with a diamond. The case-construction is water-resistant to 30 metres in case you want to swim with the crocodiles. It is presented on a black brushed canvas strap with an ardillon buckle in the same material as the case and decorated with diamonds.

The in-house mechanical manual-winding movement is constructed from 167 components, including 19 jewels. Operating at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations/hour, it has a 50-hour power reserve. The flying tourbillon demonstrates a C-shaped carriage, also used for indicating the seconds. Set with diamonds, it took the master watchmakers more than 50 hours of work.