The House of Cartier, a true dynasty of style, elegance and fine craftsmanship, was founded in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, master jeweler to Europe’s crowned heads. By the early 20th century, his three grandsons, Louis, Jacques and Pierre, were successfully managing Cartier boutiques in Paris, London and New York.
Today, the company’s watch designers draw on the astounding design archives left by Louis Cartier, the design genius responsible for many of the house’s signature innovations, patents and collections. Most of the contemporary Cartier collections are based upon Louis’ distinctive design classics such as the Santos, the Panther, the Bagnoire, the Pasha, the Tonneau, the Diabolo, and the Tank. Introduced in 1996, the Tank Francaise is widely regarded as a contemporary model of horology and design mastery. Available in three sizes and offered with a variety of movements from quartz to automatic, the Tank Francaise chronograph features a perpetual calendar and automatic time zone changing capability. The Cartier collections offered by Ashford.com are eloquent testimony to the lasting value and rich heritage of the House of Cartier legacy. From the functionally elegant to the opulently jeweled, each Cartier timepiece carries with it a 150-year pedigree of excellence, elegance and quality beyond compare. |
The first true Cartier wristwatch, the
“Santos,” designed by Louis and named for Alberto Santos-Dumont, a dashing
Brazilian aviator, was introduced in 1904. Jeweled wristwatches followed soon after in
1906. In 1910, Louis created and patented the “deployant” folding clasp. 1917
saw the introduction of the famous Cartier “Tank” watch. Long regarded as the
single most important and influential watch design of the 20th century, the distinctive
timepiece was designed in tribute to the Allied Tank commanders who helped defend France
during World War I. In 1933, Cartier was commissioned by the Pasha of Marrakech to create
a watch he could wear while swimming. As one of the earliest truly water-resistant
designs, the watch featured an attractive round case of solid gold.