Launched at SIHH (now Watches and Wonders) in 1998, the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP) was Cartier's attempt to bolster their horological might following their loss of watchmaking prowess after they decided to push quartz-powered timepieces in the Must de Cartier collection. To remedy this, Cartier joined forces with THA Èbauche - a collaborative movement manufacture headed by Vianney Halter, Denis Flageollet, and François-Paul Journe, to create a movement that would stand up to brands like Patek and AP. The resulting cal. 045MC found within the Tortue Monopouissor was the result of that very partnership. In addition to the higher standard of watchmaking that the CPCP brought about, Cartier also decided to revive the use of signing their dials with "Paris" in a bid to speak to collectors who valued the link to the brand's history as a Paris-based watchmaker and jeweler. With this, the CPCP re-established Cartier’s watchmaking credentials and created what are now some of the brand's most sought-after watches on the collector’s market. Ultimately, the CPCP merged Cartier’s revered eye for design with their genuine watchmaking heritage through the use of some of the most influential names in modern horology, just like Cartier’s strategy from the early 1900s when they partnered with Edmond Jaeger, amongst others. Based on Louis Cartier’s 3rd ever design, a watch from 1912, the Cartier Tortue Monopouissor was released as part of the CPCP in 1999, like their other throwback designs to Cartier's earliest days. Powered by the beautifully finished manually wound cal. 045 MC movement, the Cartier Tortue Monopouissor is a technically astute timepiece. With its gorgeous black and white dial, it is a modern rendition of the original models that it calls back to. With its elegant curved 18kt yellow gold case hugging the wrist comfortably with its 43mm long lug-to-lug measurement and its black Roman numeral-adorned silver dial’s general aesthetic matching that of the iconic French Maison's designs of old, this piece stands as a monolith of Cartier's engineering prowess, iconic design, and longstanding heritage.

A mechanically impressive timepiece housed within a design that is unashamedly distinct and beautifully executed, the Monopoussoir is a wonderful watch that has deserved its meteoric rise to stardom.