Actor Catherine Zeta-Jones spotted wearing a Cartier

The Monaco Grand Prix paddock has long served as an unofficial showcase for exceptional timepieces, and the 2023 edition was no exception. Catherine Zeta-Jones was photographed trackside wearing headphones and a relaxed Breton-stripe top — but it was the rose gold glint on her wrist that drew the trained eye. The watch in question: the Cartier Panthère de Cartier in 18k rose gold with a diamond-paved bezel, one of the marque's most architecturally distinctive references.

The Panthère de Cartier first appeared in 1983, designed by Jacqueline Karlisky under the creative direction of Cartier's design studio. Its defining characteristics — a square case with softly bevelled corners, an integrated brushed-and-polished bracelet with square links, a white silvered dial carrying bold Roman numerals, and blued-steel sword hands — established a new grammar for the jewellery watch. Cartier discontinued the line in the late 1990s before reviving it comprehensively in 2018, this time with improved fit, finish, and movement specs. The medium-size case measures 27mm × 27mm and houses the Cartier calibre 157, a reliable quartz movement befitting a piece that functions primarily as a wearable sculpture.

From a collector standpoint, the Panthère occupies a specific and increasingly respected niche. It is unambiguously a woman's watch — Cartier does not pretend otherwise — and it competes directly with the Rolex Lady-Datejust and Bulgari Serpenti for wrist share among the fashion-forward luxury buyer. The diamond bezel version, likely reference WJPN0008, adds approximately 116 brilliant-cut diamonds to the case surround, pushing the price and the piece's identity firmly into jewellery-watch classification.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, an Oscar-winning actress and longstanding figure in global luxury culture, is an apt ambassador for this particular reference. The setting — Monaco, the most theatrical race weekend on the Formula 1 calendar — provides appropriate context for a watch that prioritises presence over complication.

At retail, the Panthère de Cartier medium in rose gold with diamond bezel lists at approximately $22,300. On the secondary market, demand from Asian and Middle Eastern buyers has kept prices firm, with lightly used examples trading at or modestly below retail — a healthy sign for a modern Cartier reference still building its collector constituency.