I was one of the first owners of the Cartier Drive de Cartier Moon Phases when it first came out in 2017. I thought of parting with it several times but it still is in my collection after all these years because I still like it. This has primarily been my go-to “dress watch” due to its clean dial and black leather strap. Yet some elements of this watch don’t really fit the dress category in my books.

As with most Cartier timepieces, the Drive de Cartier Moon Phases is classy and elegant. The dial’s guilloche pattern is well-executed. There are no distractions to telling the time as you only have the hour and minute hands pointing at very prominent and legible roman numerals. Unlike other Drive models that preceded this, it does not have any clutter on the dial. All you have is a moon phase at six o clock. The moon phase indicator is simple but it adds another element of beauty to the watch.

Cartier is known to be a master of shapes and the Cartier Drive de Cartier Moon Phases is no exception. The cushion-shaped case has good proportions. Not too squarish and angular and is somewhat almost round. Unlike other watches of a similar shape, the crystal is also significantly domed and seamlessly matches the angles of the case. Although the case size is a contemporary 40mm, the shape makes it look larger than it actually is. Not quite dressy in a traditional sense because it can be bold instead of discrete. While I wear this mostly with business attire, I do pair these with dark jeans and boots on occasion. Perhaps acknowledging this characteristic, Cartier also released the Ultra Flat. A smaller time-only version in a 39mm case. It lost the domed crystal though.

Unfortunately, the Cartier Drive line is not as appreciated as the iconic Tank and Santos. Despite positive press reactions when they were unveiled, Drives aren’t too common in the wild and they don’t hold value in the secondary market. They don’t get much support from Cartier lately either. But in my eyes, the Cartier Drive de Cartier Moon Phases is beautiful and definitely has the Cartier DNA in it.