Widely regarded as the inventor of the first watch designed to be worn on the wrist, Cartier was established in Paris in 1847, and is arguably one of the most recognisable Maisons in the world.
Leading the way in creative watchmaking
Cartier timepieces are synonymous with luxury, style, and a chic Parisian aesthetic. From its love of unusual case shapes to the Roman numerals with the word ‘Cartier’ written on either the VII or the X, and the blue cabochon on the crown, the Maison’s design codes are as iconic as its
collection names. Cartier is credited with inventing one of the first wristwatches, the Santos. It was designed in 1904 by Louis Cartier for famed Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont and is still one of their most popular collections today. The Cartier Tank, launched in 1917, cemented its reputation as a maker of beautifully designed, original timepieces. Its unusual rectangular case was inspired by the new Renault tanks Louis Cartier saw in use on the Western Front – a rather macabre source but it yielded an elegant and timeless watch nonetheless, which has
been adapted throughout the Maison’s history.
Cartier has since developed its own range of in-house watch movements and has led the way in creative watchmaking with such designs as the Masse Mysterieuse, where the entire movement is part of the winding mechanism. A rectangular case and dial are a firm favourite at Cartier, and many of their pieces use this shape to create streamlined silhouettes and elegant cuts. However, in 2007, Cartier introduced the Ballon Bleu, a round watch with the crown uniquely encircled by a smooth extension of the case drawing inspiration from a balloon. 2021 saw significant product launches for Cartier, including the updated Cartier Santos-Dumont and the Tank Must, a piece that took inspiration from the Cartier archives. The range of Tank Louis Cartier included those on steel bracelets and those on leather as well as the very well-received limited-edition pops of colour. They also launched a very exceptional Tank Must that had an eco-feature: a SolarBeat™ movement with a photovoltaic cell, powered by light, which can only penetrate the watch’s dial through its numerals.
Our partnership
Our partnership with Cartier spans over 70 years and this prestigious brand can be found in many of our key showrooms both in the UK and the US. In 2024, excitingly, we also opened a special Cartier Espace in the Trafford Centre. A sophisticated and elegant haven for watch enthusiasts and collectors of the Maison.
We include Cartier in our breadth of marketing activities, with our partnership growning significantly with multiple co-op activations across both digital and social media platforms, increasing the investment significantly to drive brand sales to new heights online.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Watches of Switzerland in 2024, we partnered with Cartier on an iconic creation: a Tank Louis Cartier in a numbered limited edition of 100 pieces, exclusively available at Watches of Switzerland UK showrooms. This piece was launch in March and we promoted this both via key clienteling to our VIPs and within selected showrooms around the UK. We also partnered with the Maison on one of our most impressive events to date, highlighted the Centenary piece as well as a selection of classic, iconic and special Cartier timepieces.
