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Cartier Ronde Solo 30mm Stainless Steel W6701004
Ref. W6701004
The Ronde Solo is Cartier's distillation of the round dress watch to its simplest terms — no complications, no tonneau eccentricity, just the circle that the maison has been drawing since the early twentieth century. This 29.5mm version carries every detail the form demands: a pale opaline dial with Roman numerals on the outer track, a 24-hour rail-track scale within it, and the blued-steel sword hands that Cartier has used long enough for them to read as a signature rather than a choice. The winding crown is set with a synthetic blue spinel cabochon, and the Roman numeral at XII conceals the hidden Cartier signature that the brand quietly places there as a mark of authenticity. At 6.35mm thin, it disappears under a cuff completely, which at this diameter is exactly the register it is designed for. The deployant clasp folds flush into the bracelet links so the underside of the wrist reads as one continuous surface — a small thing, but the kind that distinguishes a bracelet that was designed as part of the watch from one that was simply attached to it.
- Reference
- W6701004
- Brand
- Cartier
- Collection
- Ronde Solo de Cartier
- Case size
- 29.5mm
- Case thickness
- 6.35mm
- Lug width
- 16mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- Cartier 690
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
Learn more about Cartier
Louis-François Cartier took over his master's Paris workshop in 1847, but the house became what it is under his grandson Louis, who understood that a watch could be an object of design rather than an instrument of engineering.
Cartier's contribution to horology is shape. Where Swiss houses refined the round case, Cartier abandoned it. The Santos of 1904, made for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont so he could read the time without releasing the controls of his aircraft, is among the earliest purpose-built men's wristwatches. The Tonneau, Tortue, Tank, Baignoire, Crash, and Pebble followed, and the Tank of 1917 — inspired, the house says, by the tracks of a Renault tank viewed from above — remains one of the few watch designs recognisable in silhouette alone.
The early complications were equally distinctive: the mystery clocks, built with Maurice Coüet from 1912, appear to have hands floating in empty crystal.
Cartier spent decades known primarily as a jeweller with a watch line, then rebuilt serious watchmaking credibility through the Fine Watchmaking collection from 2008, producing in-house skeletons, astronomical complications, and the shaped movements its cases demand.
The three Paris, London, and New York branches were reunited under single ownership in the 1970s, and the house has been part of Richemont since the group's formation — indeed Cartier is its founding pillar.
- 1847
- Louis-François Cartier takes over a Paris workshop.
- 1904
- The Santos is made for Alberto Santos-Dumont.
- 1912
- The first mystery clocks appear.
- 1917
- The Tank is designed.
- 2008
- The Fine Watchmaking collection restores in-house credibility.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,382), Watches Under 37mm (1,793), Women's Watches (1,690), Silver Dial Watches (756) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (318).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 29.5mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Cartier Ronde Solo alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | W6701004 | L52550716 | W7234812/A785 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,850 | £2,950 | £2,550 |
| Case size | 29.5mm | 32mm | 29mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 100m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
16mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £2,850, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £2,850 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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