Cartier

Cartier became famous for its high-quality creations

Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by master jeweller Louis-François Cartier (1819-1904) when he took over the jewellery studio of his teacher Adolphe Picard at 29 Rue Montorgueil. From the very beginning, the high quality of the treasures, all made by hand, was impressive and earned the young company an excellent reputation. Just a few years after the company was founded, the last monarch of France herself, Empress Eugénie, also belonged to the Parisian jeweller's satisfied customers. Not only the wife of Napoleon III wished to be supplied with custom-made jewellery creations, and so the company had to move to the Boulevard des Italiens. The product range was expanded to include high-quality watches, and in 1874, Louis-François-Alfred Cartier (1841–1925) - the son of the company’s founder – joined the company. Trained by his father, he was responsible in particular for the development of the watch sector, which was already considered important at the time. 

The first mass-produced wristwatch and pilot’s watch

Alfred Cartier's eldest son, Louis Joseph Cartier (1875-1942), also joined the company in 1898. In close communication with his father, he travelled widely to find new materials and inspiration for unique pieces. By the following year, the main store could be relocated to the prestigious Rue de la Paix. In addition to pendulum clocks and pocket watches, the range also included a few watches for the wrist, although the first models from 1888 did not sell well. However, when the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873-1932) asked his friend Louis Cartier for a wristwatch tailored to his needs in 1904, the Cartier Santos model, which was developed specifically for this purpose, marked a turning point: It was the first special pilot's watch that could be worn on the wrist and the first wristwatch with a leather strap. The innovative product was a great success and was widely copied.

International expansion and world-famous product lines

Cartier also expanded successfully outside of France: the first branch was opened in London in 1902, and the French company soon became purveyor to the British royal family. In 1907, the company succeeded in gaining a foothold in Russia, and in 1909, the first boutique in the USA was established on the world-famous Fifth Avenue in New York. After the death of Louis-François Cartier's grandson Pierre in 1964, the traditional family business temporarily split into three parts before being reunited in 1974 by a group of investors led by Joseph Kanoui and expanded through the acquisition of other luxury goods manufacturers. In 1997, the Cartier brand became the property of the Swiss Richemont Group. One of Cartier's trademarks to this day is the leopard, the eyes of which are usually of emerald, and which adorns the company's own collections in many variations. The most iconic product lines include the Pasha watches, designed by the Swiss watch designer Gérald Genta, the Crash, which is reminiscent of a painting by Salvador Dalí in its distorted shape, and the Tank, which is based on the design of the British Mark IV combat tank.