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Salmon Cartier I’ll be the first to admit – while I love the funky case design, the Pasha has never been a model that particularly interested me. For whatever reason, its wide bezel, weird crown, and three-part lugs never bothered me. That's one of the reasons I chose this model for review - and boy am I glad I did. In my short time with Salmon Pasha de Cartier, I realized that I do judge books by their cover, but I was wrong.

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A Brief History of the Pasha's Rich History
I cannot talk about the pasha without mentioning the reason for its existence and the names of those who participated in its revival. The story begins with Thami El Glaoui, a respected and wealthy Pasha of Marrakesh who needed a watch to accompany him while bathing. A lover of fine things, El Glaoui is said to have commissioned Louis Cartier to create a watch that would do just that. Having said that, the earliest images of a similar modern Pasha de Cartier watch date only to 1943, with El Glaoui ordering his creations in the early 1930s.

Wherever the original design of the dial grille and refectory crown came from, Cartier chose to revive it in the 1980s, with the help of Mr. Gérald Genta. It might seem strange to see such an angular Genta design, but that’s because the famous designer was primarily involved in developing new movements for new Cartier collections, and the look is taken from the “original”. Since then, the Pasha de Cartier has gone through many iterations, but they have all maintained their original shape. This is not surprising given Cartier’s evolutionary rather than revolutionary tendencies.

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The inexplicable charm of Cartier
Let's start with the part you see most often. The dial is a mixture of beautifully clear geometric lines engraved on a salmon-colored surface, dividing it into distinct sections. Cartier’s iconic railway minute track has been slightly adapted, with engravings on the dial forming the track and sleepers formed from luminous filled blocks, interrupting the markings. Does this mean the Pasha has a sector dial?

Additionally, one of the hallmarks of Pasha de Cartier is the oversized Arabic numerals at the cardinal points. Their serif font is a nod to Pasha’s origins in the 1930s – I particularly like the swirled ends of the numbers 6, 9 and (1)2. The stubby sword-style handset is blue, another Cartier specialty, although it does feel a bit small – more on that (and the date window) later.

While the 41mm diameter is generally adequate for me on paper, I had no issues wearing it on my 6.25-inch wrist. This is largely thanks to the compact lugs, which span just 48mm while the height remains at around 10mm.

Despite these dimensions, it has to be said that this is a striking watch. Sure, it's a big, pink-dialed Cartier, but they're generally a brand that handles subtlety. My guess is that the wide, stepped, and polished bezels are to blame, as it's basically impossible not to catch reflections. The same goes for taking photos. I just couldn't keep myself or the camera from being in the shot. While the wide bezel is very eye-catching, it also constantly expresses an undying love for fingerprints, so a microfiber cloth is a must-have for any wrist shot.

Flip the Pasha sideways and it will look completely different. The front of the watch would make you think it's a big, bulky thing, but in reality, it's surprisingly slim. The oversized crown guard somewhat helps, as it protrudes from the case in every way imaginable. Coupled with the fact that the synthetic spinel cabochon is almost luminous, the fine horizontal brushing on the sides of the case does little in the way of invisibility.

When I got my hands on this watch, I realized that I had never actually seen a pasha wearing a natural crown, if you will. A few quick turns of the fine threads on the crown cap and there it was, with a tiny synthetic spinel on top. It's definitely small, but thanks to the well-machined knurling, it's not as hard to grip as I thought it would be. Try as I might, it looks a little wrong to see the crown like this - thankfully, twisting the cap back instantly restores the Pasha's recognizable lines.

Finally, there’s the 1847 MC movement that powers the Pasha. It is visible through the sapphire caseback, which is rare for Cartier. It's a relatively handsome movement, albeit unobtrusive, with heavy grained stripes on the winding rotor and bridges. In this example, the base plate is fully sandblasted. The 1847 is one of the main reasons the Pasha is slim, measuring just 3.8mm in height despite a fully wound rotor, and has some anti-magnetic components that allow for an undisclosed amount of reluctance. Cartier has been surprisingly coy about specs, not even revealing the power reserve, which I understand is around 40 hours.

Even though I've gotten to know Pasha quite a bit, there are still some challenges. Considering the funky case design, I'm surprised Cartier chose such a simple H-shaped bracelet to go with it. I'm no designer and admit that having a more elaborate bracelet might be a bit too much, although I can't help but think this simple steel construction is a bit under-designed.

For me, the Pasha looks best with an alligator strap. Despite being a new strap, it's buttery smooth and surprisingly soft, and the steel folding clasp adds as little unnecessary bulk as one could hope for. Cartier’s tool-less strap-changing system, which Cartier calls QuickSwitch, is very useful, but keep in mind that you won’t be swapping the Pasha to any aftermarket strap due to its lug design.

Then there's the dial. I actually really appreciate that Cartier chose this type of tone and finish instead of the admittedly over-the-top sunburst bronze pink that we’ve become accustomed to calling “salmon.” Although I like the color, I wish Cartier had gone with appliqué numerals because, in my opinion, the small indexes next to the printed numerals don't provide the three-dimensionality needed for a dial of this size. Of course, there's also a date window. I agree with the Pasha's practicality in trying to be an everyday watch, but the awkward positioning creates an adjustment for my travels that, as Zach said, is a little too much. If nothing else, at least the colors match perfectly.

Today's conclusion is simple. I would never have considered adding Pasha to my collection until I actually experienced it for a longer period of time. Now that the inexperience issue has been corrected, I can't say the same. On this particular model, I particularly like the single-button swapping system for the strap, as well as the overall finish. Granted, the 41mm Pasha wouldn't be my first choice as it's too big for my personal preference, but I've grown completely accustomed to its design quirks.

Brand Cartier
Model Pasha de Cartier
Reference number WSPA0040
Housing Dimensions 41mm (D) x 9.55mm x 48mm (L)
Case material stainless steel
Water resistance 10 bar
Crystal Sapphire crystal front and back
dial salmon
Strap Stainless steel bracelet with quick change system and SmartLink adjustment
Brown alligator leather with quick change system
Mobile 1847 MC, internal, automatic
Power reserve 40 hours
Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date