The French jeweler and watch manufacturer Cartier has history, tradition, and experience stretching back over more than 160 years. In 1847, 28-year-old Louis-François Cartier took ownership of the Parisian jewelry store run by his mentor, Adolphe Picard, and established himself quickly with his Paris store. A large part of his success came from his sense for the tastes of his clientele.
In 1874, his son Alfred joined the business and expanded its watch department. Alfred's sons Louis, Pierre, and Jacques continued in their father's footsteps and transformed Carter into an international company: Louis Cartier ran the headquarters in Paris, while Pierre and Jacques Cartier operated stores in New York and London.
Cartier focused its attention on wristwatch production early on. This made the Maison one of the pioneers in this field, as pocket watches were still the norm in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. As a result, diamond-studded ladies' wristwatches could be admired in Cartier's showcases as early as 1888. In the beginning, however, these early wristwatches sold sluggishly, due to the fashions of the time. It was not until long sleeves and women's gloves began to go out of style that the exposed wrist became the viable backdrop for a watch.
Jeweler of Kings
Cartier's luxury jewelry was sought after by royals and nobles from around the world, which enabled the Parisian jeweler to establish itself as the official supplier of the great royal houses. Especially richly decorated, gem-set tiaras adorned the heads of queens and princesses including the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain.
Not least for this reason, the Prince of Wales and later King Edward VII referred to the Parisian company as the "jeweler of kings, king of jewelers." The current Princess of Wales, Catherine Middleton, proved that this is still true today during her wedding to Prince William, when she wore a Cartier tiara that had been worn by both Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.
Who owns Cartier?
Cartier was family-owned until the mid-1960s. However, Jean-Jacques Cartier, Claude Cartier, and Marion Cartier Claudel, the great-grandchildren of Louis-François Cartier, sold their shares, after which the company was initially broken up into three parts: Cartier Paris, Cartier London, and Cartier New York. It wasn't until the late 1970s that Robert Hocq and a group of investors succeeded in combining all the holding companies into Cartier Monde SA. Today, Cartier is part of the Richemont Group, which also includes luxury watch manufacturers such as Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and A. Lange & Söhne.
What watch movements does Cartier use?
At the beginning of the 20th Century, Cartier usually fitted its watch creations with movements from Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre. However, calibers by Audemars Piguet or Movado were also utilized. From the 1970s onwards, Cartier primarily sourced its calibers from movement manufacturer ETA.
In 2001, Cartier opened its own watch manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss Jura, and presented its first in-house caliber in 2009. Today, Cartier equips most of its watches with in-house calibers.
Historical Milestones
- 1847: Louis-François Cartier founds the company
- 1888: Cartier introduces their first wristwatches
- 1904: Development of the Santos
- 1917: Development of the Tank
- 1931: Presentation of water-resistant wristwatches
- 1985: The Pasha enters series production
- 2007: Introduction of the Ballon Bleu
- 2009: Cartier produces their first in-house caliber