Cartier

In 1847, Louis-François Cartier takes over the Parisian workshop of his mentor, Adolphe Picard. Thus begins the story of a jewelry house where watchmaking would eventually meet the art of jewelry design. Original illustration inspired by 19th-century Parisian jewelry craftsmanship; it does not depict the historic Cartier headquarters.

In 1853, the first watches appeared in Cartier's history. Watchmaking gradually became a part of the Parisian house's business, alongside jewelry and precious objects. The original illustration references the way precious items were presented in the 19th century.

In 1904, Louis Cartier designed a wristwatch for Alberto Santos-Dumont, allowing him to check the time during flight without reaching for a pocket watch. The practical need of the aviation pioneer gave rise to one of the brand’s most important collections. The original illustration references the construction of early aircraft and does not depict a specific Santos-Dumont machine.

In 1911, the Santos went on sale. The watch, originally designed for Alberto Santos-Dumont, became available to a wider range of customers. Pictured: a later Santos model from 1988, showing the evolution of its characteristic square shape. Photograph: Noop1958 / Wikimedia Commons, "Cartier Santos 1988", CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), square crop.

In 1917, Louis Cartier created the Tank design. The rectangular composition and two parallel side bars became the foundation for one of the brand's most recognizable watch families. Pictured: a later Must de Cartier Tank, which continues this design language. Photograph: Guy Sie / Wikimedia Commons, "Cartier Tank", CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), square crop.

In 1967, Cartier London introduced the Crash. The asymmetrical, fluid shape of the case breaks away from the classic proportions of a watch, becoming one of the brand's most daring designs. The original illustration is a metaphor for the free-form shaping of metal, not a documentation of the model's creation.

The Panthère collection combines a watch with the fluid form of jewelry.

In 1985, the Pasha de Cartier collection made its debut. Its characteristic form is defined by a round case and a crown cap attached to it by a small chain. Pictured: a later Pasha ref. 1030 from the late 1990s. Photograph: EMore98 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), square crop.

In 2007, the Ballon Bleu de Cartier made its debut. The rounded case and the crown with a blue cabochon, protected by a metal arch, give the collection its recognizable silhouette. The original illustration refers to the jewelry motif of the blue cabochon.

In 2009, the Santos 100 Skeleton revealed the architecture of the 9611 MC manual-winding caliber. Bridges shaped like Roman numerals combine the watch's mechanical structure with the function of time display. This original illustration evokes the art of metal openworking; it does not depict a Cartier movement.