PASHA DE CARTIER
Created for the "power people" of the 1980s, the Pasha was originally intended exclusively for men, a first for Cartier. It featured a large 38mm case with Vendôme lugs, a rotating bezel (another first for Cartier), and most notably, a protective crown joined to the case by a chain, concealing and protecting the winding stem from water and sand. Taking the "adventurous self-made man" theme even further, some models also featured a striking grille, inspired by the gridded portholes on the earliest diving helmets. Adding to the exoticism, the name Pasha itself is a reference to the Pasha of Marrakesh, who ordered a waterproof Tank watch in the 1930s.
Designed internally at Cartier, the Pasha very quickly featured movements created by another watch designer, Gérald Genta. Introduced to Alain-Dominique Perrin by Pierre-Alain Blum (then owner of Ebel who was assembling watches for Genta and Cartier at this time), Genta offered to think about complications for the Pasha, some that had never existed, like the Pasha Golf.
The first Pasha watches, crafted entirely from solid gold, were numbered and limited to 700 pieces worldwide (150 for the US market). The first clients ? Cher and Tina Turner.
