When we talk about the age of a watch model, Cartier’s Tank deserves the place of honor. With its instantly recognizable rectangular case, this chic timepiece debuted in 1917, exactly 100 years ago. The watch has been in existence for an entire century! And now Cartier releases some new versions to celebrate.
As the resident gentleman of Quill & Pad, I feel that the time is soon approaching to write an obituary announcing the death of the dress watch. It is not that we didn’t see this coming, nor is it an isolated event, but it still hurts.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several months, you are well aware that on October 26, 2017 Phillips conducted an auction in New York City at which the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona owned by Mr. Newman himself was sold for more than $17.5 million, a record price for a wristwatch of any kind. I was fortunate to attend the auction and its attendant events: there was much more to see and some lessons to take away, about both the current state of the vintage market and bidding at auction.
There was a time when viewers didn’t consciously pay that much attention to what kind of wristwatches movie characters wore. This often meant that actors wore their personal watches on set, sometimes even when it didn’t suit the movie. Today placing a wristwatch in a big film is big business, which also changes the types of timepieces characters now wear.
There is always something special about kicking off a new series of articles. It is like unwrapping a new notebook, sitting down with your favorite pen in hand, and beginning a new adventure. This particular adventure will take us to a very special part of the watch world: the so-called dandy watch, a word we will define right here.
Cartier Tank à Guichets: I hardly dare to say the name out loud. This is the Tank I have always dreamed of handling, but something I have never been able to do in all the years that I have been following “La Maison” to any possible event. But now I’ve been given an incredible opportunity to photograph one of these rare watches.
I couldn’t think of a better watch to take on a trip Cuba than my own trusty Cartier Santos Dumont as I’d be flying 7,500 kilometers across the ocean. I was heading for Havana, a city that has been high on my travel list for years. Follow me there for some breathtaking vintage cars and scenery.
Cartier’s jewelry and watch expositions are always a treat, making for a good reason to go abroad for a weekend break. So it’s great news that a new Cartier watch exhibition in London has opened this week. Here’s my take on why you should visit.
I’ll never forget that instant when I first saw this pink gold Pasha de Cartier 42 in a window: time seemed to have stopped around me, sounds faded, and all I could see was this stunning wristwatch. It was love at first touch after I went inside and tried it on!
In April 2017, Cartier presented the new Juste un Clou Torque necklace, one of those pieces of jewelry that expresses sincere chic, making it a powerful statement of bold attitude. Once again, Aldo Cipulla hits the nail right on the head.