IF you do not know the story behind the creation of the wristwatch, then let us give you a hand: in 1904, Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviator, requested uncle Louise Cartier to craft him a timepiece he could strap to his arm in order to absolve himself from accepting his hands from the airplane’s controls. Santos-Dumont’s desire was soon granted and consequently the foundations of the Cartier watches powerhouse were laid. The rest — as watch fanatics understand — is horological history.
Now, 113 years on, Cartier stands as one of the best jewellers and watchmakers in the world. Here we have a look in five timepieces which have defined the French home’s iconic status.
5 watches which defined Cartier’s place in horological history
In a summary: established in 1917, the Tank is the greatest symbol of the modern watchmaking era. As a tribute to the cellphone and armoured vehicles he saw around the Western Front during World War II, Louise Cartier gifted a watch of the Exact Same title to the famous American general John Pershing. This wrist watch was complete with an angular and flat case (an element unheard of in the time) and, contrary to other models on the market, was created with an integrated shape that come up with strap just as crucial as the instance. Two years later this model was shipped to production. Though there have been various editions and contours since that time, it is the first Tank, the Normale (which was the finalised version of this prototype), which will forever stay unstoppable.
Drive p Cartier Extra Flat
In a nutshell: last year, Cartier, during the arrival of the Drive p Cartier, introduced a completely new silhouette to its collection — one having a unique, retro-style, dressy-cum-sporty cushion form. The newest iteration — the Drive Extra Flat — retains exactly the same design of the first, but it continues to be trimmed down to a 6.6mm-thin case, which makes it ideal to slip seamlessly within tuxedo.
It features: a calibre 430 MC (that's Cartier’s version of this Piaget 430P), a hand-wound ultra-thin movement along with a 36-hour power book.
Ballon Bleu de Cartier
In a nutshell: the Ballon Bleu is an elegant part of wrist armour, and its statement nine years ago signified Cartier’s commitment to advancing haute horlogerie in today’s era while still staying true to the traditional principles. The relatively thick 14.8mm case solidifies the watch’s dominating looks, while its face’s Roman numerals are directed by a deep azure winding mechanism.
It features: a 30-minute enroll at 3 o’clock, a seconds subdial at 6, manual winding, sword shaped palms along with a fluted crown.
In a nutshell: probably the most complex watch Cartier (along with the watch market) has produced, this timepiece surely lives up to its title. It contains a continuing calendar, minute repeater and flying tourbillion — all of which can be put in an extremely skeletonised movement. Striking, beautiful and also a must-have for collectors.
It features: 578 parts (such as 47 stones ), brass sunray-brushed dials plus a black alligator skin strap.
Tortue Large Date
In a nutshell: located in 1912, the Tortue array was created throughout a time when most of chronographs watches were around; because of its distinctive shape, this tortoise-inspired model (along with others in the group ) continued to become a classic.
It features: a mechanical movement with manual winding, an instance in 18k white gold, a beaded crown set having a faceted sapphire cabochon, a ring in black semi-matte alligator skin, an enormous date at 12 o’clock and small seconds at 6 o’clock. It’s also water-resistant to 30m.
