I Love My Cartier Watch
Cartier SA is a luxury wristwatch maker and jeweller based in Paris, France. The family business was launched in 1847 in Paris by Louis-Françoise Cartier. During the following decades, his son Alfred Cartier and later his nephews Pierre, Jacques and Louis developed Cartier to a best-known worldwide brand.
“Santos” – the 1st watch ever was made by Louis Cartier
The breakthrough of the brand Cartier took place in 1904, when Louis designed a flat watch for Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviator and friend of the family. The wrist watch was named “Santos” and made history as Cartiers first man’s wristwatch – and the first wristwatch of all time. Their clients have been really pleased as well with the practical timepiece.
Louis was responsible for lots of the famous and successful designs of the company. He developed the so named “mystery clocks”, for instance. These wrist watches have a transparent dial and their clockworks are invisible. Another exquisite innovation of Louis was an exotic wrist watch including multicoloured jewels called “Tutti Frutti”.
The Cartier Tank watch has now more than thirty variations
Already in 1907, Cartier was quickly growing and had subsidiaries in St. Petersburg, London and New York. The company was developing into one of the world’s most successful wristwatch brands. A special highlight in the history of Cartier was a waterproof wristwatch produced in the main for the Pasha of Marrakesh in 1932. Fifteen years earlier, Louis designed the “Cartier Tank watch”. This watch is still the most noted clock of the company and has today more than thirty varieties.
At this time, the company started printing reference numbers on the underside of the watches. The presence of these “four-digit-codes” is proving the watches’ originality. The company kept evolving and in 1964, Jean-Jacques, Claude and Marionne (the children of Jacques, Louis and Pierre) sold the whole business.
A new concept – “Les Must de Cartier”
The new possessors – a group of various investors – started to design new products that should keep the quality of Cartiers wrist watches in the past. The new concept was called “Les Must de Cartier (Cartier – it is a must!)”. Nowadays, Bernard Fornas is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Cartier. The headquarter of the company is still placed in Paris, France. Cartier is regarded as the no. two seller of luxurious watches behind Rolex. Additionally, Cartier is the worldwide no. one seller of luxurious jewels. Mens wrist watches
