Understanding All the Cartier Roadster Models
The Cartier Roadster was only made for about 11 years, and it never got as much attention as other Cartier watches like the Tank and Santos. The Roadster, with its tonneau case and distinctly oversized crown, first appeared in 2001 in two sizes, with automatic movements for the men’s size and quartz for the ladies. Several variants were added throughout the following decade, so we’ve put together this quick guide to the Cartier Roadster.
Design
Every Cartier Roadster watch features a tonneau (“barrel”) case between 30mm-44mm wide (excluding the massive crown), a solid caseback, a date at 3 o’clock, and a quick-release strap system. Almost every variant was offered with either a bracelet or a strap.
Cartier was way ahead of their time with the quick-release function–some quick-release springbars already existed but the Cartier Roadster was the first luxury watch with a full-fledged integrated quick-release strap.
The design of the Cartier Roadster was apparently meant to evoke imagery of classic automobiles like the Porsche 356. It may not be as well-known as the Cartier Santos or Cartier Tank, but it definitely has a unique aesthetic.
More on Cartier:
| ➢ | Cartier Women’s Watch Guide |
| ➢ | The Most Expensive Cartier Watches |
| ➢ | Cartier 2024 Release Guide |
| ➢ | Omega vs. Cartier: The Battle for #2 |
| ➢ | Who Owns Cartier? |
Overview of the Cartier Roadster Lineup
The Cartier Roadster lineup, which was discontinued in 2012, boils down to seven basic types:
- Time-and-date models offered in four sizes (30mm, 37mm, the sporty 39mm “Roadster S,” or a rare rose gold 42mm XL version)
- Chronographs offered in two sizes (the 42mm XL or the even bigger “Roadster S Chronograph”)
- GMT complication offered only in the XL (42mm) case size
The small, large, and chronograph XL versions of the Cartier Roadster were offered in stainless steel, two-tone, or solid gold. The GMT and S models only came in steel. And the rare non-chronograph Roadster XL, limited to 250 pieces, was only offered in rose gold with a beautiful walnut burlwood dial.
Note that the 30mm ladies’ model has a quartz movement; all other Cartier Roadsters have ETA-based automatics. I’ve broken down the case numbers of every Roadster model below. The four-digit case code is the easiest way to coherently keep track of Cartier models, although every single dial and colorway will also have its own 8-character reference number (which starts with W620 for all Roadsters).
Cartier Roadster Models: Case Numbers, References, Movements, and Sizes
| Type | Case Number and Metal | Reference Number Example | Movement | Case Width (Excluding Crown) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roadster Large | 2510 (SS or TT) 2524 (YG) | W62025V3 | Cartier Calibre 3110 (Automatic, ETA 2892-2 base) | 37mm |
| Roadster Small | 2675 (SS or TT) 2676 (YG) 2723 (WG) | W62016V3 | Cartier Calibre 688 (Quartz, Piaget base) | 30mm |
| Roadster XL (Rare, limited) | 3103 (RG) | W6206001 | Cartier Calibre 3110 (Automatic, ETA 2892-2 base) | 42mm |
| Roadster GMT | 2722 (SS) | W62032X6 | Cartier Calibre 8500 (Automatic, ETA 2893-2 base) | 42mm |
| Roadster XL Chronograph | 2618 (SS or TT) 2619 (YG) 2826 (WG) 2848 (RG) | W6206019 | Cartier Calibre 8510 (Automatic, ETA 2894-2 base) | 42mm |
| Roadster S | 3312 (SS) | W6206017 | Cartier Calibre 049 (Automatic, ETA 2892-A2 base) | 39mm |
| Roadster S Chronograph | 3405 (SS) | W6206020 | Cartier Calibre 8630 (Automatic, ETA 7753 base) | 44mm |
Roadster vs. Roadster S
Although the Cartier Roadster debuted in 2001, with the chronograph and GMT versions coming a few years later, the Roadster S and Roadster S Chronograph didn’t appear until 2010. They were intended to be slightly more affordable than the regular Roadster models.
Here are the defining traits of the Roadster S and Roadster S Chronograph compared to the regular Roadster:
- No date-magnifying “cyclops”
- No visible case screws
- Simpler bezel (flatter against the case)
- Black date wheel
- Black ADLC-coated bezel option (The ADLC-coated S and S Chronograph models were given a rubber strap option in lieu of a bracelet option)
Overall, the more simplified look of the Roadster S and Roadster S Chronograph is sportier than the regular Roadster, no doubt. I think the S models lack some of the distinctiveness found in their dressier upscale non-S brethren, but they’re still cool-looking watches. And because Cartier discontinued all Roadsters only two years after the S’s release, they’re quite rare.
Unusual Versions
In addition to the limited-edition wood-dial rose gold version mentioned earlier, there are several other interesting Cartier Roadster options such as the Las Vegas dial, a pink dial, the 2004 Greece Olympics edition, a tuxedo dial with Arabic numerals, a sky blue and white dial, and a limited-edition blue men’s model.
Naturally, solid gold Roadsters are far less common than steel ones. Some yellow gold Roadsters are set with diamonds, and all white gold ones are–whether it’s just the bezel or also the case/bracelet.
Cartier Roadster Price
The cheapest Cartier Roadsters are the basic steel quartz models, while the most expensive option would be a solid gold model with gold bracelet, fully set with diamonds. This is typically what you can expect to find for pre-owned Cartier Roadster pricing today:
- Steel ladies’ models: ~$2,500
- Steel men’s models or two-tone ladies’ models: ~$4,500
- Two-tone men’s models: ~$6,500
- Gold ladies’ models: ~$10,000
- Gold men’s models on a strap: ~$12,000-$16,000
- Gold men’s models on a gold bracelet: ~$30,000
- Exotic gem-set versions: Up to $60,000
Due to the number of similar-looking models in different sizes, Cartier’s watch lineup can be confusing for collectors, but hopefully this guide has provided a concise, coherent understanding of the Cartier Roadster family. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cartier relaunched it one of these days.
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