One of the most beautiful things about Cartier is that once it created the perfect watch, the designers pretty much left it alone. Meaning that the whims of fashion did not get a hold on models like the Tonneau – for the simple reason that it transcended fashion. And now a new version arrives in 2019. So what (if anything) has changed to make Martin Green proclaim that it heralds the age of elegance?
Here George Cramer looks across more than one hundred years of evolution of what may well be called the world’s first pilot’s wristwatch: the Cartier Santos-Dumont.
Nineteenth-century French horologist Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, a man now famous as the father of modern magic, inspired Cartier to begin dabbling in mystery clocks in 1912. And the famous brand has never stopped as a recent exhibition showing 19 historical mystery clocks illustrated.
Since its very early years, one of Cartier’s strengths aside from jewelry and watches has surprisingly been accessories for men. In fact, cufflinks appeared in Cartier records as far back as 1859. Here George Cramer explores modern and vintage options for a nice personal touch.
The Tank Louis Cartier Jumbo, which was available in the 1970s, is the only Tank Louis Cartier equipped with an automatic movement, Caliber 170, However, what really appeals to George Cramer is the Jumbo’s perfect size, coming neatly between the Classic and XL models.
‘Mission: Impossible Fallout’ is the sixth installment of the Mission Impossible series featuring Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, an agent for the Impossible Mission Force (aka the IMF). The cast is currently traveling around the world to promote the film, and what brand did Tom Cruise choose to wear on his wrist? Cartier, and not one but two models!
While the Collection Privée Cartier Paris was the definitive illustration of a time of forgotten elegance, the Fine Watch Making Collection, despite its extremely high quality and finishing, became one of the best examples of a disaster in the trend of pretentious haute horlogerie of the last decade. So what’s going on with Cartier’s high watchmaking division now?
On June 22, 2018 Julien’s Auctions is set to auction thousands of items from Jerry Lewis’s life. Naturally, this auction will take place in Las Vegas where the comedian performed so often.
In this article I compare the new Santos de Cartier Skeleton to the Santos-Dumont Squelette from 2010 as these two models are from the same family, have a lot in common, and share the same high-end caliber.
It was dandy aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont who talked his friend, Louis Cartier, into making a wrist-borne watch for him so it would be easier to see the time while flying. After a moving century-long history, in 2018 Cartier has reinvented its Santos.