When Cartier sends you an invite — especially one in Austin to celebrate the relaunch of one of its most iconic watches, during Formula 1 week, no less — accepting it is a no-brainer.
I’m happy to be at a point in my career where I don’t fit any one mold. I take photojournalist style images and portraits, plus candid event photos — the latter seems to be in increasing demand these days as AI doom spreads and the hyper-posey influencer style of yestermonth falls out of favor. I also write about a multitude of things within the style space for a few publications. Because of this, Cartier invited me on an Austin trip as something of a photographer-guest hybrid. I was there to experience everything, take photos for the brand and help its attendees create and publish their own content.
Anyway, the watch, aka The Roadster, which Cartier first released in 2002. Thanks to its barrel-like case, one that took inspiration from the contours of ‘50s and ‘60s era planes and automobiles, it quickly became a popular timepiece among horological heads. The brand discontinued it around 2012, but now it’s back, with the classic, tonneau-shaped silhouette in place along with a few modern updates, like the speedometer-esque dial and a date magnifier evoking a headlight.
As you’ll often hear, the overlap between watch enthusiasts and automotive heads runs deep. What is an elite-level watch but an engine on your wrist?
The trip’s attendees were notably all style and watch enthusiasts, including: Yashua Simmons and The Society Archive founder Marcus Allen; NFL Super Bowl champ and designer/artist Michael Bennett; rapper, model and pro-skater Sage Elsesser; JustSmile creative director Bryce Thomas; influencer Jake Musser; entrepreneur and host of the “Wrist Check Pod” Perri Dash and Cartier eyewear expert Spencer Shapiro.
Once we touched down in Austin, the high-touch opulence didn’t stop. From our rooms at the 1 Hotel Austin (replete with monogrammed pillowcases and a monogrammed Cartier Roadster de Cartier pen, aka my newest prized possession) to getting our own customized cowboy boots at Western footwear stalwart Tecovas (my wide-leg Kaptain Sunshine jeans fit over them easily), the personalization was on point. So was the food. Standouts included: French-Texan at Le Calamar, Jaliscan fare at Alteño (get the Chile Colorado, a molé-esque braised short rib with white bean puree and a side of sourdough tortilla) and Comedor, where the guacamole comes topped with chapulines, which are crunchy Mexican grasshoppers. And, of course, I can’t forget seeing Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and the rest of world’s fastest F1 drivers bang out practice laps, all from the Cartier suite, which had a wonderful vantage of the paddock, finish line and trophy podium.
Hitting an F1 race, as I was quick to learn, is all about looking the part. The night before heading to the track, we checked out Cartier’s Austin boutique (which they opened back in May) to try on the new Roadster. The watch comes in various sizes, metals (yellow gold/steel, all yellow gold and all steel) and straps (metal, leather and rubber). It also boasts the proprietary Quickswitch system, which makes removing and swapping straps as simple as clicking a button.
Each of us was given the opportunity to pick a watch and a piece of jewelry or two to wear for the next 36 hours. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a bit scary to wear $30k or so of jewelry, not to mention sign a form saying you’re responsible for its value. But, it also felt like a huge flex to have Cartier’s newest release on my wrist. I went for the steel, classically me as most of my jewelry is steel or white gold, but in the large size with a rubber strap. Trying something unusual is the fun of the experience. I’m not a small guy, which awards me the freedom to wear any size watch I want. The large Roadster felt great on the wrist — substantial but not heavy. I was also loaned a matching set of the white gold Santos de Cartier link bracelet and necklace.
All of this made for exceptional fits and accessorizing, plus conversations with some of the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable heads in the men’s style space. Check out my photo dump below.
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The world of men’s style, from the streets of NYC to the showrooms of Milan, run down weekly by writer and photographer Christopher Fenimore.
