Free Your Mind

Created in 2002 but rooted in a long heritage of innovation, the Cartier Libre watch collection continues to push the boundaries of imagination in the horological world

- Yanni Tan

The first-ever men’s wristwatch was born in 1904, during the era of round pocket watches, when Louis Cartier dreamt up the square Santos for his friend and famous Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. In 1912, he stretched the typical round shape of a watch dial to create the Baignoire or “bathtub” in French, then audaciously introduced the tortoiseshell-inspired Tortue, which garnered a cult following.

Five years later, upon the unveiling of the Renault FT-17 tanks built for World War I, his imagination was reignited once again by the vehicle’s silhouette – resulting in the creation of the maison’s most legendary model, the Tank. The bell-shaped Cloche, originally designed to be worn on the lapel as a brooch, then appeared in 1920. And in a most bizarre turn of events, a car crash blaze in ’60s London caused a Baignoire Allongée watch to be melted and mangled out of shape, for it to be reborn as the surrealistic Crash watch by Jean-Jacques Cartier, head of Cartier London of that era.

The product of genius or serendipity, Cartier’s imaginative take on watch shapes has always flowed through its veins since its early years. Why should timepieces be boring? And judging by the various models’ success, watch lovers, too, agree. Finally, to the delight of contemporary horology enthusiasts, the Cartier Libre feminine watch collection was launched in 2002 to honour Louis Cartier’s pioneering spirit and continue the maison’s legacy of inventiveness in playing with shapes, lines and volumes.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

As much as Cartier is synonymous with its emblematic watch shapes, it is also known for a refreshing unconventionality rare in the realm of horology. This character is very much epitomised by Cartier Libre.