Much like a lot of Cartier’s catalog, the Cartier Pasha has a long and storied history. According to legend, the Pasha was supposedly conceived by Louis Cartier for The Pasha of Marrakesh, Thami El Glaoui, in the early 1930s. As the story goes, The Pasha ordered a one-of-a-kind gold watch that could keep pace with his active lifestyle and boasted a level of water resistance that was uncommon at the time. Cartier’s answer was the Pasha; a large timepiece with a screw-down crown cover and metal grid that protected its dial. During the Quartz Crisis, Cartier reached out to Gerald Genta in 1985, of Royal Oak and Nautilus fame, to design a precious metal luxury sports watch that could capitalize on the growing market for such watches, like the gold Submariner at the time. Genta’s design was the Cartier Pasha as we know it today. It is a sizeable masculine timepiece with a sporty bezel, a unique screw-down crown cover, a clean dial, and its now-iconic Vendome lugs. The variant we have here is the Sapphire Bezel Pasha ref. 2398 with the collection's signature silver dial. Featuring a stunning guilloche engraved pattern across its surface, this example’s silver dial is quite exquisite, and it is perfectly matched by its white Cartier leather strap that is fastened by Cartier’s signature deployant clasp in 18kt white gold. Perfectly sized at 32mm in diameter and boasting the Pasha’s atypical design topped off with a sapphire-set bezel, this watch is a perfect example of everything that makes Cartier so special.

A wonderfully attractive watch that pulls on the heartstrings of Cartier collectors, the Pasha breaks from aesthetic norms and celebrates Cartier's willingness to do new things. Additionally, with its sapphire-set bezel exuding total luxury, the ref. 2398 perfectly appeals to Cartier's legacy as a jeweler.