Cartier Watches– the name alone represents prestige, time-honored tradition and of course, magnificent jewelry and the first practical wristwatch. Cartier operated as a family business by the Cartier family in Paris once Louis-Francois Cartier Jewelry took over the workshop of his master jeweler, Adolphe Picard in 1847. Cartier would be a family business, with Louis-Francois' grandson's making it the brand it is today. The Cartier Company would remain solely a family business for many years until it came under the wing of the Richemont group in 1964.
In 1899, Alfred Replica Cartier Watches, son of Louis-Francois, selects Rue de la Paix as the flagship store for the design house. In time, many other jewelers follow suit, settling either on Rue de la Paix or at the nearby Place Vendome. Cartier becomes at the center of luxury jewelry. In time, Alfred entrusts the maison to his three sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques. Louis stays at the Paris flagship focusing on expansion there while Pierre Cartier and Jacques Cartier travel the world settling in London and New York to oversee operations there.
The early 1900s prove to be a pinnacle time for the Cartier house. Chief among the accomplishments was establishing platinum as a legitimate and irreplaceable precious metal, especially for setting diamonds. With this new design, Louis Cartier solidifies himself as an avant-garde jeweler. Soon after, as England prepared to crown Prince of Wales Edward II as king of England, Cartier receives a vote of confidence from the future king when he proclaims Cartier to be the "Jeweler of Kings for King of Jewelers." Cartier quickly became the official jewelry supplier to King Edward VII. Then, Alberto Santos-Dumont, a pilot and friend of Louis Cartier, confides in Louis that he cannot read his fob watch while flying. Louis partners with master watchmaker Edmond Jaeger and the result is the first practical wristwatch which Cartier would later produce commercially for the public giving the wristwatch the name "Santo-Dumont" after his longtime friend. Two names synonymous with Cartier are the "Hope" blue diamond and Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean, Washington Post heiress and a longtime customer of Cartier. Once Cartier procured the "Hope" blue diamond, it was set as a pendant with diamonds surrounding it and displayed on a dazzling diamond chain. The Hope diamond is whisked off to America for Mrs. McLean to view. Once she does, she refuses to part with it. A final achievement during these years was the Cartier Mystery clock, and its many variations. The common theme behind these clocks was that the dial hands appear to float in space with no apparent link to the movement. In fact, the hands were fixed to a crystal disk with a crown in dented metal.
From early on, Cartier was poised to be a leading luxury jeweler given their quick expansion to London and New York as well as their incredible inventions such as platinum settings, the wristwatch and the Mystery clocks. Read more about the rich history and tradition of Maison Cartier coming soon.
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