Cartier Pasha Watches
A legendary of the 20th Century with just as legendary a backstory. The Cartier Pasha has adorned the wrist of some of the best dressed, and most in-the-know figures of the era. With Cartier’s continued updates and innovations over the years the Pasha has transcended generational barriers and become one of those rare things, timeless.
The History of Cartier Pasha Watches
The legend of the Cartier Pasha dates back to the early 1930’s. It centres around Thami El Glaoui, then Pasha of Marrakesh, a lifelong and loyal customer of Cartier.
The story goes that the Pasha ordered a bespoke, one-of-a-kind gold watch from Louis Cartier himself. The watch would need to be suitable to keep up with the Pasha’s busy lifestyle, namely a watch he would be able to wear when swimming, while remaining eye-catching and elegant when attending to his state duties.
The watch was supposedly created with a large diameter, crown cover, and a metal grid in order to protect the dial.
However, in reality, there is actually no concrete evidence that this legendary watch was ever created for the Pasha. But everybody loves a legend, and this one stuck.
Over 50 years after the supposed creation of the first Pasha, Cartier needed something new. Something sporty to go with the trends of the era. To accomplish this, Cartier turned to legendary designer, Gerald Genta, who went on to create a now iconic Cartier watch, the Pasha. Of course, this is not the only luxury timepiece that Genta has designed, as he was also involved in the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur and more.
The first generation of Pasha watches stood out from the crowd of Cartier’s usual fare. It had a round shape and a broad 38mm case with a large bezel. Its dial was also distinctive for the era, it had a square minutes chapter ring on the circular dial, four large Arabic numbers, and an oversized chain-linked crown cap boasting the traditional Cartier sapphire on top.
This chain acted to cover the actual screw down crown and enabled the Cartier Pasha of the 1980’s to do what the Pasha of the story wanted most, resist water
This initial generation of Cartier Pasha watches received a few upgrades. Namely chronograph and GMT models, as well as the addition of perpetual calendars and moon phases.
In 1990 Cartier, released a new version of the Pasha made using stainless steel rather than the traditional precious metal. This opened the Pasha up to a whole new audience and allowed it to grow in popularity.
This was followed up with the releases of a smaller 35mm version of the model, the Pasha C, and the 150th anniversary steel Pasha with a ruby adorned crown.
And in 2005 to commemorate 20 years of production of the Pasha, Cartier released special models in gold and steel, and would follow this up with a selection of other models up to 2012 when the Pasha was retired, seemingly for good.
However, surprising everybody, in 2020 Cartier released a series of new Pasha models reimagining the original design, bringing this 80’s icon into the modern day. The 2020 Cartier Pasha watches are 35mm or 41mm, available in stainless steel and 18k yellow, pink, or white gold. They all have a self-winding caliber with 40 hours of power reserve as well as the classic chained crown.
While core features remain, modern updates like the Cartier QuickSwitch strap release system, and SmartLink quick bracelet sizing system helps to introduce the Pasha into a new generation.
Perfect for any Occasion
What other watch can be worn by a pasha, actors, artists, and Mike Tyson? The Pasha design has been perfected across nearly 40 years and can perfectly complement you, no matter where you are or what you are doing.
The story of the Pasha surrounds a watch suitable for all occasions, and that is what makes Cartier Pasha watches so versatile.
The Pasha even has models that can function as diving watches. The Pasha Seatimer Chronograph is designed to be water resistant up to 100m and is perfect if you want to go straight from the water to the bar without ever losing that elegance and style.
Unisex and Generation-Spanning
The Pasha was released in the midst of the 1980s, with quaffed hair, loud fashion and louder music. But in an era synonymous with bravado, the women of the time flocked to a watch initially designed for men, one which at 38mm was larger than many of the watches for women on the market at the time.
And today, this identity of the Pasha as a watch embraced by men and women in equal measure lives on. It stands out as big and bold on the wrist, without ever losing the elegance and class that Cartier are synonymous with.
For a watch to be created in a totally different era for the world, find an island of relevancy and support for itself, and still have that same fanbase and support today is testament to the unique qualities of the Pasha.