The Cartier Roadster was the watch that sparked my horological obsession. It was a 21st birthday gift from my parents and was my daily wearer for six years. My collection today is heavily biased toward vintage divers but the Cartier Roadster will always hold the highest designation in my collection as ”a keeper”.

The Roaster range was released in the early 2000’s and saw Cartier offer an alternative to its other modern sports watch models, by integrating the traditional classic Cartier aesthetic, with a nod to the automotive design of the 1950’s. The sleek, sweeping tonneau case and large distinctive crown that draws the eye to the exaggerated date lens had me hooked at first sight. The Roaster range had several dial and hand design configurations but for me, it had to be the silver roman numeral dial with blue steel hands.

Although I no longer have a daily wearer, this watch would certainly tick most of the boxes for anyone looking for one. The 38mm wide, 3.6mm thick case is light, cambers the wrist perfectly and proves that sub-40mm can certainly have wrist presence. It houses an automatic Swiss ETA 2892-A2 calibre with a 42-hour power reserve, hacking mechanism and 330ft water resistance. This movement is renowned for precision and reliability; something I can vouch for as I’ve only had to service it once in over 15 years. More importantly for a daily wearer, the Roadster has the ability to change its appearance, from formal to casual and back again in a matter of seconds. It has a quick-release system that allows you to swap the strap/bracelet without the need for springbars and tools. Not only do you get a beautifully finished stainless bracelet with dual deployant clasp for the office and formal events, but you also get a supple leather strap with a metal deployant buckle for the weekend.