Cartier takes the Roadster out for a spin

In 2002, Cartier launched the Roadster, a tonneau-shaped watch that evokes the curves of cars from the mid-20th century; the date magnifier resembles the headlight of a Porsche 356. The model stayed in production for 10 years, and then it was parked. Until April, when Cartier whisked away the curtain to reveal the Roadster was making a comeback. 'Why this year? I say why not this year,' says Arnaud Carrez, Cartier's chief marketing officer. Clients had been asking for it, and prices for pre-loved Roadsters were edging upwards. Such moves in the secondary market are one indicator, but not the only one, he says, when asked what Cartier looks for when deciding when to re-release a watch from its archives. 'We are careful in managing the product category in a rational manner. We see the Roadster as being complementary to the Santos collection.'