Just in time for SIHH, the luxury brand has developed an innovative artistic technique – “flamed gold” - for its latest Ronde Louis XL timepiece.

Which artistic craft has Cartier mastered to create the impressive new dial for the Ronde Louis Cartier XL timepiece?

The question is a bit of a trick, because Cartier has actually developed a brand new technique in watchmaking, which they are sensationally calling “flamed gold”.

The new technique is essentially “the mastery of art by fire”, inspired by the method of bluing watch hands in a flame. What makes the process unique - and at the same time extremely difficult - is that it requires the perfect temperatures to get the colour finishing just right. Using the hottest flame produces a deep blue colour while the coolest flames produce beige.

To get the beautiful effect of the panther’s coat onto the dial of this Ronde Louis XL watch, the gold plate is first heated to produce an initial base colour. It is then returned to the heat as many times as necessary until the full spectrum of colours has been reached.

The depth of the rich and life-like dial of the watch is complemented with blued apple-shaped hands and a pave bezel adorned with baguette-cut diamonds.

At the heart of the beautiful timepiece ticks the in-house mechanical hand-winding Calibre 430 MC. It is packaged in a classic 18-carat white gold case that wears a bit on the large side, coming in at a well-sized 42mm.

Released in preparation for the upcoming SIHH, the Ronde Louis Cartier XL is only available in a strictly limited edition of 30 pieces.