Cartier Pashà C Big Date

The origin of the Pasha de Cartier, so it goes, begins in 1931 or 32, when The Pasha of Marrakesh, Thami El Glaoui, ordered a one-of-a-kind watch from Louis Cartier. A gold watch, resilient enough to keep pace with the Pasha’s active lifestyle, and one that could boast a level of water-resistance that was uncommon for the time.

The solution was a watch with a (comparatively) large diameter, a crown cover and metal grid to protect the dial. The only fly in this ointment is that there is no substantive proof that this watch was actually made for the Pasha of Marrakech. The closest we can get is a photograph from 1943 of a watch that bears all these features and does look quite a lot like the modern Pasha.

The official line from Cartier is that “its name pays tribute to the Pasha of Marrakesh, a lover of fine watchmaking and a lifelong customer of Louis Cartier.” Until we’re treated to some spectacular horological sleuthing, the story of the Pasha and his watch is just that – a story.

The Pasha’s reign of steel continued in 1995, with the introduction of the Pasha C. Smaller at 35mm, and with a sporty ‘H’ link bracelet, the Pasha C represented a new entry-point into the world of Pasha.