Louis Cartier produced the maison’s first wristwatch in 1904, for Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont; today, nearly 120 years later, the maison continues to innovate with every collection it unveils. Its latest offerings at this year’s Watches and Wonders are a clear reflection of this enduring legacy of combining reinvention and tradition.
Tatler sits down with Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s image, style and heritage director, to dig into how the iconic designs of the early 20th century still pulse at the heart of the maison’s modern creations, proving that true style never ages, it only evolves.
How are Cartier’s 20th-century designs reflected in this year’s novelties at Watches and Wonders?
The choices that were made in terms of type of shapes [in the early 20th century] were linked to what Cartier was calling strong design; and by “strong”, we mean the capacity to remain [relevant] in [that] time, but also the capacity for each design to go through variations, without losing the original soul. [Today,] we are [not only] in line with the original vision, but [also with] the will to be ahead [of time] for the future of the house. [We have] very creative new pieces that are not linked specifically to one existing shape. This shows the permanent creativity with a side of legacy. This was the philosophy invented [by Cartier].
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