Model Bella Hadid spotted wearing a Cartier

Bella Hadid was photographed in what appears to be a Paris street setting — consistent with her frequent Fashion Week appearances — wearing a Cartier Panthère reference 1280 in 18k yellow gold with a factory diamond bezel. The sighting fits Hadid's established taste for vintage-leaning French luxury, and the Panthère sits squarely at the intersection of both worlds.

The Panthère de Cartier reference 1280 is a small-model ('SM') iteration of the iconic square-cased watch first introduced by Cartier in 1983. The case measures approximately 22mm × 30mm in solid 18k yellow gold, with the hallmark rounded-square profile and flush-integrated five-link bracelet that gave the Panthère its sinuous, 'second-skin' wrist presence. The white silvered dial carries black Roman numerals, a chemin-de-fer minute track, and blued-steel sword hands — all signature Cartier codes. Power comes from a manually wound or quartz movement depending on sub-reference, with the 1280 designation corresponding to the quartz-driven version. The diamond bezel on this example is a factory-set option, adding approximately 44 brilliant-cut stones around the case perimeter.

The Panthère's collector story is nuanced. Dismissed by some purists through the 1990s and 2000s as a 'fashion watch,' the reference staged a full rehabilitation after Cartier relaunched the line in 2017. Vintage yellow-gold examples — particularly with original diamond bezels — have become legitimate targets for serious collectors, with clean examples drawing premium prices at auction. The 1280 reference in all-gold with diamonds represents the top tier of accessible vintage Panthère collecting.

Hadid's affinity for Cartier is well documented; she has previously been spotted in Santos and Tank models. The Panthère, however, carries a particular cultural resonance with the modeling world — Grace Jones, Naomi Campbell, and a generation of 1980s icons wore it. Hadid wearing it in a casual street context speaks to the watch's versatility and current fashion-world revival.

At retail, a new Panthère SM in 18k yellow gold with diamond bezel lists above $20,000 USD. Grey-market pricing for original reference 1280 examples in excellent condition with box and papers typically ranges between $8,000 and $14,000 depending on condition and bracelet completeness, making this one of the more attainable all-gold diamond-set Cartiers on the secondary market.