Henry VII described the Cartier as “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers”, which has been designing jewelry and watches since 1847.
Marilyn Monroe says that diamonds are girl’s best friend. So, what about an elegant Cartier watch? I think, a chic Cartier Tank would come to your mind when it comes to Cartier. The model, which first appeared on the scene in 1917, is an object of desire like the brand’s other watches and, of course, jewelry. The French brand, which has been designing objects of desire for almost two centuries, is the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers according to Henry VII.
The story of the legendary brand dates back to the years of Paris, when the winds of the French Revolution had not yet subsided. Jewelry and watchmaker Louis-François Cartier laid the foundations of his brand with the workshop he took over from his master in 1847. In 1853, less than ten years after its establishment, the boutique moved to a more luxurious street in Paris and managed to further expand its business. In these years, it was preferred by Princess Mathilde and Empress Eugénie, which increased the fame of the brand and made its name known outside France. After successful years under Louis-François, his son Alfred took over in 1874.
Alfred’s sons Louis, Pierre and Jacques also took part in the management of the company, which remained in this long-established family until 1964. The brand’s fame, which has reached all corners of the world and has continued for decades, was born with the different vision of each member of the family. One of Alfred’s most successful strategies was to send his sons to different countries of the world to increase the international success and awareness of the brand. Pierre went to New York and opened a boutique in Manhattan. There, he married the daughter of a high-society family and gained a place for himself in American society. Jacques, on the other hand, dealt mostly with the business of the boutique opened in London. The brand, which has become one of the jewelers of the British royal family, was founded by King Henry VII. He was commissioned as the jewelry supplier for Edward’s coronation.
The History of Iconic Cartier Watches
The youngest, Louis, who married a Hungarian countess, remained in France and developed the brand’s first wristwatch. At the request of his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, Louis designed his first wristwatch, called Santos. Alberto was complaining that he could not easily use his pocket watches during the flight. Thereupon, Louis developed the practical Santos watch with a square bezel, allowing him to read the time at a glance. Santos was the brand’s first wristwatch for men. The creator of another iconic watch would again be Louis. Inspired by the robust appearance of the Renault armored tanks used in the First World War, Louis developed the Tank model. Launched in 1917, the Tank became one of the most cult watch models ever. Baignoire, which is more of a women’s watch with its round case and thin bracelet, is one of the models that Louis touched.
Stories about Louis Cartier are not limited to Santos and Tank. One of the popular legends of the watch world is that Pasha de Cartier, designed by Gerald Genta in the 1980s, has its roots in Louis design. Rumor has it that in the 1930s, the Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui, asked Louis to design a watch. This watch, which will be made of gold, must also be water resistant. Although there is a photo of a watch from the 1940s that fits this description, it is not known whether Louis designed a watch for the Pasha of Marrakech. The brand’s first Pasha de Cartier model was announced in the 1980s with the signature of Gerald Genta. The model, in which Arabic numerals are used instead of classical Roman numerals, is one of the avant-garde collections.
The family, whose fame spread all over the world towards the middle of the 20th century and became the jewelers of royal families, lost Jacques and Louis one after another in 1941 and 1942. After Pierre’s death in 1964, the company was purchased by several investors. However, in these years of consecutive losses and changes of hands, iconic watches would be born. Crash, which made a big impact in the watch and fashion world, was introduced to the watch world in London in 1967. Since then, very few Crush models have been introduced. The brand was incorporated into Richemont Group in 1983.
The brand’s watch journey, which started with Santos, continued with series with unique designs such as Tank, Baignoire, Ballon de Cartier and Privé. Cartier, which is in its 177th year this year, produces its watches in its factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
