arrondis THE CULTURE OF DESIGN

Guided by four main principles of creation, Cartier charts the course of its continued success with over a century of iconic designs

SINCE INCEPTION IN 1847, Cartier has embodied a tradition of excellence. When the founder’s grandson Louis Cartier took over the helm of the maison in 1874, he kicked off a long-standing tradition of iconic designs that continues to this day. First came the Santos in 1904, Cartier’s first men’s wristwatch, created in response to the complaints of pioneering aeronaut Alberto Santos-Dumont about the impracticality of using pocket watches while flying, then the Tank in 1919, after being inspired by the tanks on the Western Front in World War I.

The two watches designed by Louis Cartier have since paved the way for many of the maison’s most celebrated collections, guided by just four main principles that make up #TheCultureOfDesign at Cartier today: the purity of the line, the accuracy of the shape, the precision of proportions and precious details.

The purity of the line is Cartier’s desire to reduce the piece to its purest form: structure.

Easy to read and instantly understandable. The quest for pared-down simplicity dictates features that are recognisable from the first glance with a high level of expertise.

Guided by the principle of accuracy of the shape, Cartier thinks like a designer, measuring the effects of symmetry, parallelism, or asymmetry that each shape offers. By adding perspective, creating depth and calling on the curve of the pieces, the maison seeks to provide them with movement and reinvent them in a new form.