Cartier ID Two Concept Watch Extreme Innovation

You can look, but you can't have.  Cartier introduced this Concept watch as a sort of icon for innovation in watch making materials, high efficiency,  accuracy, longevity, precision and a 32 day power reserve rather than a product to purchase. The mechanical watch of the future.

This Concept Watch is a Treasure trove of innovative watch concepts which function together in optimal efficiency.

1. Watch Case Material: 

Ceramyst(TM) - i.e. monobloc transparent polycrystalline ceramic - requires exceptional scientific  knowledge to manipulate.  Due to the incredible difficulty of working with this type of ceramic, the Cartier ID Concept watch is the first watch to use this type of case.  The highly brilliant horological team at Cartier Fine Watchmaking created this case in two parts creating an air tight vacuum interior.  The case back  is actually vacuum sealed to the case front To   fused together with the aid of nanoparticles. Nano particles are used around the crown as well. The seamless fluidlike appearance of the case is enhanced by the absence of screws.

2. Vacuum Sealed Inner Chamber.

I asked a  research friend of mine who is familiar with mechanics and such  about the difficulties in sealing the intricate movement within a vacuum.  By the sudden intensity of look accompanied by amazed astonishment it was apparent he was contemplating a mighty complex scenario.  He muttered something about the exorbitant amount of pressure required and the delicacy of the movement and then I am afraid he lost me... I kept nodding in agreement hoping he would not question me as to what was said. I would hate to look ignorant in the face of such brilliance .. or it sounded pretty brilliant anyway.

What is the advantages of placing a movement in a vacuum with 99.5% removal of particles per centimeter? 
The movement especially the escapement is not subjected to friction and thus dramatically increases the energy efficiency of the movement eliminating the need for lubrication.

3. Innovative Movement Materials

Bridges - Titanium bridges treated with DLC - Diamond Like Coating reduces friction; enhances resistance to wear and  increases hardness.

Escapement - Cartier utilizes "Carbon crystal" which requires no adjustment once placed in the case.
Balance Wheel and other components - Carbon Crystal treated with diamond coating to reduce friction and increase durability. 




Mainspring barrel - Amorphous diamond coating further reducing friction between mainspring and barrel.


Mainspring - Fiberglass.  Fiberglass is high in energy conservation, An alloy mainspring will lose 20% of energy in a 24 hour period where as a fiberglass mainspring will lose a mere 1%.
The use of fiberglass improves torque resulting in superior relation between stress and modulus of elasticity.

4. 32 Day Power Reserve 

I have never come across a mechanical watch with a power reserve of more than one month, makes one respect fiber glass a whole lot more.

5. Improvement of Gear Train Efficiency 

 Gear Train enhancements result in an increase in the efficiency of power transferred from escapement to hands.
 



  I have been talking about the Cartier ID Two Concept Watch quite a bit now... and often the response is....
 "Cartier made this watch?"
This is due to the fact that most people view Cartier as an excellent quality watch brand, but no where near Haute Horology or Horlogical Mechanical Machines.  When one thinks of Cartier, one does not think of tourbillons,  perpetual calenders, minute repeaters, sonneries,  they think of exceptional quality precision timepieces crafted in gold or steel, blued hands, Roman Numerals and perhaps diamonds. They think of wedding or anniversary gifts - a display of love and time.  Although this wonderful perception of Cartier will remain, among high end watch aficionado the perception of Cartier is in the process of change.  A change into the realm of innovative precision timekeeping, cutting edge efficiency, groundbreaking mechanical horological technology and extreme complications.

Fallen in love with this watch? To bad you never going to get your hands on it, but now that Cartier has wet your appetite for its high end energy efficient horological masterpiece, they have unveiled the
Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon Carbon Crystal watch, with some (not all) of the neat Cartier ID two Concepts like the cutting edge Diamaze coating. This beauty has a real neat tourbillon doubling as a seconds hand.  The name is kind of galactic like a planet orbiting the sun. (Astro meaning Star).  Although this watch is available, unlike the Cartier ID Concept, it is limited to 50 pieces.

The Man Who Started the Wristwatch Trend

Albert Santos-Dumont had the vision to fly, and was one of the early pioneers of flying. He was a celebrity of his time, flying amidst the wondrous upturned faces of the public. They wanted to be like him to dress like him, he was their icon, their superstar, and anything he wore was replicated by thousands... and so the wristwatch became popular.

Santos-Dumont was born on July 20th, 1873, in the Brazilian town of Palmira, the sixth of eight children. His father was French, an engineer and he owned a coffee plantation in the state of Sao Paulo. His father was known as the " Coffee King of Brazil" as he made a large fortune utilizing latest labor saving inventions of that time.

Santos-Dumont ,as a young child, looked up into the brilliant expansive view of the Brazilian sky and dreamed of flying. His father sustained an injury by falling from a horse and moved the family to Europe. Santos-Dumont who had always been fascinated with machinery bought himself an automobile and later studied physics. chemistry, mechanics and electricity.
Still his dream of flying persisted and he hired an experienced balloon pilot to take him on as a passenger, then he piloted the balloons himself, and then flew dirigible balloons (many people are more familiar with the German Zeppelin like that which docked atop the Empire State Building).
Santos-Dumont built and flew 11 dirigibles from 1898 and 1905. He would cruise along Paris boulevards at rooftop level, landing outside outdoor cafes for lunch.

He won the Deutsch de la Meurthe Prize by flying his "lighter than air"aircraft from Parc Saint Cloud to the Eiffel Tower in less than thirty minutes, but it was the "heavier than air aircraft" that gained most of his attention. He flew an airplane he built, the 14-bis, on October 23, 1906, in front of a crowd of rapt spectators, 200 feet at a height of 10 feet above the ground. He was awarded the Archedeacon Prize in July 1906 as he was first aviator to fly more than 25 meters.

In 1904 while Santos-Dumont was celebrating his win of the Deutsch Price at the Maxim's Restaurant in Paris, he complained to his old friend ,Louis Cartier, about the difficulty of checking his pocket watch while trying to handle the controls of his aircraft. Santos-Dumont asked Louis Cartier to come up with a different way of checking the time whilst keeping both hands on the control. Louis Cartier and his master watchmaker ,Edmond Jaeger, brainstormed, and soon came up with the first prototype for a man's wristwatch. It was a watch on a leather strap with a buckle to be tied around the wrist. This was not the first time a wristwatch was invented, Patek Phillipe had created a wristwatch in 1868 for the Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, but Patek Phillipe creation was more of a style statement than the need for practicality.

After Santos-Dumont was presented with his wristwatch, he never flew without it, and it was with the Cartier wristwatch that Santos-Dumont, on November 12, 1906, used to confirm that he had broken his own personal record for flying 730 ft in twenty one seconds.

Santos-Dumont was nicknamed "le petit Santos" and the stylish of that time copied Santos-Dumont wardrobe from his high collared shirts to his singed Panama hat to his Cartier man's wristwatch. Santos-Dumont was indeed a trend setter, men are still very much wrist watch wearers; although they have done away with their high collared shirts and singed Panama hats.



To honor Santos Dumont, Cartier has an entire Collection of wristwatches called Santos de Cartier. This collection includes Santos 100, Santos Dumont, and Santos Demoiselle for ladies. The striking square case provides a sense of complete equilibrium as well as practicality.

Artistic Dials

Dials emerge among complications, chronographs and sports watches, vibrant in color and baring works of art worthy of display in many a museums. These dials fuse mechanical craftsmanship with
artistic masterpieces creating horological wonders.

The Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Tourbillon Lac is an extraordinary example of the mastery of mother-of-pearl inlay resulting in a dreamy landscape. The rocky outcrops surrounded by swirling colors are perfectly crafted pieces of mother-of-pearl originating from all the oceans of the world. At the 12 'o clock position, a tourbillon ensures gravity does not hinder the watch's impeccable timekeeping.





Cartier's Le Cirque Animalier Collection captures three dimensional bejeweled animals and contains them within the finest enclosures constructed from hand picked gems. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal ensures the utmost viewing pleasure and
incomparable clarity.








Alain Silberstein adds vibrant primary colors to his dials creating child-like images like pages from an infants hard board book. The Tourbillon D’Art Marine Blue Sea with its congenial date pointing star fish, maritime themed hand indicators and flustered looking fishy is wonderfully unique. Not to be swayed by the preschool presentation, a meticulously crafted tourbillon hides beneath the reeds.







Dimier, a sub brand of Bovet, presents recital 2. In this attractive timepiece flames lick the dial in dramatic curves cut out from the dial to display the Calibre DT7 movement beneath.

Magnificent dials nurture passion for timepieces, and nurture the passion for the movement that lies beneath.

Cartier Captures A Croc

There are a very few watch companies who can create a diamond encrusted crocodile, place it apon a dial, and make the look work. No. Not just work, but absolute mesmerize. Of course you must be wondering about the crocodile. Why would Cartier place a bejeweled crocodile on the dial?
The crocodile is part of the history of Cartier associated with a certain diva, Maria Felix. Maria Felix was a highly popular Mexican actress in the 1940's. It is well known that she adored crocodiles. As legend has it, she strode into a Cartier's Boutique one day and ordered a necklace in the likeness of a crocodile, and if by chance Cartier had difficulty visualizing a crocodile, she had one right ... here. And then much to everyones horrified amazement, she hauled a lively baby croc from her things. Since then she became a creative ally with the house of Cartier. In 2006, four years after her death, she was 87, Cartier created a watch line in her honor - The La Dona Collection.

- Maria Felix wearing her crocodile necklace.

The Crocodile on the black dial is curled around, almost protecting, a flying tourbillon. Sharing the dial with the croc, are two lotus flower resting at the 6 'o'clock position. Cartier's distinctive blued steel hands display the time above Cartier's in house mechanical manually wound movement Calibre 9458 MC which is placed off center to make space for the croc.

If Maria Felix were here today, she would greatly approve of this watch.

Wandering through airport terminals with Watches on my Mind.

Bvlgari BB23GLD Bvlgari-Bvlgari Black Dial Leather Women's Watch

The current time on my watch is 4:30pm. The current time in Spain - last stop before I hit the shores of the USA. My journey was marked with seeing close relatives for the first time in 15 years, and perusing watch boutiques at airport Duty- Free counters.

Cartier has a strong airport presence with Cartier Roadster Watches, Tanks, Pashas and the Santos Collections. Breitling, Omega, Bvlgari and Rolex are also quite prevalent. Swatch watches take up center stage and its position in the airport terminals are framed by towering pillers displaying the latest swatch models. Swatch Watches saved the watch industry and I have the utmost regard for them.

Cartier  Roadster Silver Dial White Gold and Leather Women's Watch 

As I was peering at the Breitling watches, I asked a lovely lady behind a watch counter if she had ever sold the Breitling Emergency watch at the airport. She looked at me with utter disdain.

"No!" she said shaking her head, "What if someone presses the emergency button in here, it would be mayham."

A sudden image of an emergency distress call specifically designed for civil aviation confusing air traffic control entered my mind. She had a point.

The Breitling Emergency broadcasts on the 151.5 MHz distress frequency. However, as of February 2009, the Cospas-Sarsat which operates a satellite constellation that relays distress alerts to search and rescue authorities through a worldwide ground communications network, stopped monitoring the 121.5/243 Mhz frequency's. Breitling has no plans to change the 121.5 MHz frequencies on its Breitling Emergencies as aviation will still monitor the 121.5 MHz frequency especially during a rescue attempt.

After perusing the terminals with my over sized carry on luggage banging against my legs, I sat down and decided to read a perfectly respectable paperback novel. Watches had left my mind for a moment that is until I glanced at a gentleman wearing a Longines Master Collection Retrograde. I closed my book and looked at the watch in all its glory.

With travel, one sees thousands of people and one notices their watches. In addition, watches are crucial during air travel. Cellphones cannot be turned on in the airplane and thus of no use when one wants to know the time.

A good watch is a great travel companion. 

First in House Movement for Louis Vuitton

This is probably one of the most beautiful watch designs I have ever seen. The Louis Vuitton Tambour Mysterieuse. The movement within this luxury watch is Louis Vuitton's first in house movement, making this watch collection a rarity. Louis Vuitton watches are hard to come by; but, the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy or LVMH group owns Zenith, Hublot and Tag-Heuer.

The Louis Vuttion Tambour Mysterieuse manually wound LV115 movement is suspended in the center of the dial between two layers of Sapphire Crystal. One cannot determine how the movement is attached to the crown or the rest of the watch. It is a mystery. Which we will leave unsolved.
The hands of the watch jut out from the edge of the movement adding to the illusion of complete suspension. These watches remind me of Cartier's famous mystery clocks of 1912 where the hands seemed suspended in mid air hence the name mystery. Both Louis Vuttion and Cartier are French Companies founded in Paris in 1854 and 1847 respectively.
The watch is crafted to expose the vibrant palette jewels. The Tampour Case might have been quite bulky except it is tapered providing an elegant unique look. The lugs balance the Tambour case.
Although the manual wind may seem like a burden, Louis Vuitton has crafted the watch with an 8 day power reserve.
Being that the Louis Vuitton Tambour Mysterieuse will cost you about $265,000, you can customize the watch to suit your style. You can choose to purchase the watch with its 42.5mm wide case in red,yellow or white gold or platinum. You can choose either diamonds, rubies or sapphires for your power reserve indicator and have the cut of your choice. If you are looking to purchase this watch anytime soon, you had better hurry and customize your choice. From the time you order until the time the watch is ready to ship, you will have to wait a year, but once the year is up you will have one handsome watch and quite mysterious too.

Cartier's Stunning La Dona Luxury Timepieces

La Dona Collection is a stunning collection of uniquely bold Cartier women's watches. The collection is named after a famous Mexican 1940's actress, Maria Felix. A Diva in her own right, she ignited the screen with her spirited, passionate and quite mischievous personality. The watches in her name are every bit bold and lovely, with a hint of naughtiness. It is well known that Maria Felix adored crocodiles. As legend has it, she strode into a Cartiers Boutique one day and requested that they make her a necklace in the likeness of a crocodile and if they had a problem visualizing a crocodile, she had one right ... here. With that she produced a lively baby croc from her things much to everyones amazement. Since then she became a creative ally with the house of Cartier. In 2006, four years after her death, she was 87, Cartier created a watch line in her honor.

Cartier La Dona de Cartier Ladies' Watch 18K Rose Gold Silver Dial Diamond Bezel

The case is distinctly trapezoidal, different just like Maria. The first watches in this collection were 18-karat white or yellow gold, available with or without a diamond bezel. Later the watch was released with either burgundy, pink or red alligator straps as well as steel. The watch has a Cartier calibre 059 quartz movement, Roman Numerals, sword-shaped blued steel hands.

Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewerly Company

This Ralph Lauren watch with the gold stirrup shaped bezel is causing quite a stir among watch enthusiasts. They are eagerly anticipating the arrival of this watch in May 2009. The watches were first unveiled at SIHH in January 2009. This watch is part of a new watch collection carrying the iconic brand name of Ralph Lauren.
This watch is the offspring of a brand new company "Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewerly Company", formed in September 2008, and based in Geneva Switzerland. This company is the partnership between two leading companies, Polo Ralph Lauren and Richemont Group. This new company will design, develop, manufacture and distribute luxury watches and fine jewelry. For both companies this venture is a first. This is Richemont's first such venture with a luxury fashion designer and its Polo Ralph Lauren first venture into the luxury watch and jewelry business.
Ralph Lauren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation said, “I have waited a long time to create and introduce timepieces that I feel exemplify the ultimate in luxury and quality. Richemont shares that understanding and has the global reputation and experience to fulfill these shared goals. I have the highest confidence that this unique partnership will be tremendously successful and an important part of our global luxury accessories strategy.”
Johann Rupert, Executive Chairman of Richemont, said, “I have long admired Ralph Lauren. His impeccable taste, style and attention to detail are unique. These factors, combined with Richemont’s expertise in jewelry and watches has led to a fascinating business venture. Jointly, we aim to create a new luxury business, which I am confident will develop into a world leader. This is an exciting partnership and I am very happy to work with Ralph Lauren on this project. I am very enthusiastic about the timepieces we will be unveiling at SIHH 2009.”
Many people people are speculative about forming a new luxury company in times of economic uncertainty, but the overwhelming enthusiasm to the new watch collection displays positive signs for the future of the "Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Company". It is pleasing to see growth and creativity.
Richemont owns a portfolio of leading international brands. Each brand is managed independently of one another, thus maintaining the unique quality and creativity. Richemont has five distinct areas of operation:
1)High end Jewelry Companies (which also sell watches): Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
2)High end watchmakers: Jaeger LeCoultre, Piaget, IWC, Baume & Mercier, Vacheron Constantin, Panerai, A Lange & Sohne & Roger Dubois.
3)High end writing instruments: Montblanc and Montegrappa
4)High end leather and accessories: Alfred Dunhill and Lancel
5)Other businesses: Chloe and 19.5% interest in British American Tobacco.

An SIHH 2009 Beauty! Cartier Rotonde Central Chronograph

The Cartier Rotonde Central Chronograph Watch is so Cartier and yet there is something quite different like a new flavor to an old recipe. The sword shaped hour and minute hands are partially hidden beneath a centrally placed chronograph sub dial which measures 30 minutes, with the use of a revolving disc that literally covers most of the hour and minute hand on the watch face. The chronograph is a breeze to read as all the 30 minutes are displayed on the disc. The watch hands are quite similar in size and thus when the hands are not displayed at the usual 10:10, confusion may result. Cartier has incorporated an intricate bi-level dial.

The 18K gold round case measures 42mm in diameter.The beaded crown adorned with the blue sapphire cabochon is placed in between sleek rectangular chronograph pushers. The movement is a new in house manually wound manufacturer calibre 9907MC which breathes life into the dial. The movement is made up of 272 pieces, each piece carefully crafted to ensure precision time keeping as well as incredible resilience and durability. The 9907MC also encompasses a unique vertical clutch mechanism which allows the chronograph to perform continuously without excessive strain to the mechanism. The balance frequency is 28,800 vibrations per hour, and a power reserve of 50 hours.

A gorgeous watch which blends horological innovation, creativity and functionality.

Wow! Look what Cartier has done to the Tank.

Once in a while a watch stops me in my tracks as a result of its breathtaking beauty. This is one of them without a doubt. The Cartier Tank Americaine Tourbillon Volant Watch. It is a Tank, a Cartier Icon. Click here to read more on the Tank.

With mounting financial "butterflies in the stomach" uncertainty in the Luxury Watch Business, Cartier has improved on a much loved classic. The outcome a gem of a watch with its "Tourbillon Volant" or "Flying Tourbillon". A tourbillon is a complication originally created in 1795 by French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguetto to counter the effects of gravity on the movement of the watch. Cartier has placed everything that works in a Watch, so that the watches success is its birthright. The dazzling sapphire crystal cabochon accentuates the crown, and the 18k rose gold softens the look. The watch has a mechanically wound 9452MC movement with a flying Tourbillon complication and the Geneva Seal. The Power reserve is 50 hours.

This watch is quite large for a tank: 52mm tall and 36mm wide, but in this case the bigger the better. The heat-blued hands and the Roman Numeral Hour indicators are wonderfully Cartier.

Cartier Carves its Roadster

The Cartier Roadster is the most elegant watch for men, and when you add a touch of walnut burl, well you have class. Frédéric de Narp, president and chief executive of Cartier North America says, "It comes to complete the aesthetic of the Roadster. You had the radiator, the dials, and the lights — and now you have the dashboard." He mentioned the inspiration for the watches crown had always been drawn from a automobiles radiator, and the curvature of the watches crystal on the headlights. The dashboard is now the gorgeous warm walnut burl hue of the dial and center bracelet links. This model comes in limited addition 18k rose gold (limited to 250 pieces) and 18k white gold (limited 150 pieces). Each wooden piece is painstakingly crafted by hand and receives 10 coats of lacquer, meaning the walnut burl is scratch and water resistance (up to 330 feet). The blend of gold and wood, of which both materials exist in its current form in nature, is extremely powerful. The watch exudes raw unbridled energy and power that speaks success.

Cartier Roadster Mens' Automatic Watch Two Tone Silver Dial

Cartier first introduced its highly popular Roadster collection in 2001, in stainless steel with interchangeable metal and alligator straps. 

SIHH 2009 opens in two weeks.

The 19th Salon International de la Haute Horogerie opens in Geneva from Monday January 19th to Friday January 23rd, but don't pack your bags just yet, the SIHH is reserved for guests of the exhibiting brands and professionals- by invitation only. The rest of us will have to be patient eagerly anticipating the new Timepieces crafted by exceptional Watch Brands.
Look out for new models from:
A.Lange and Sohne, Alfred Dunhill. Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, JeanRichard, Montblanc, Officine Panerei, Parmigiani Fleurier, Piaget, Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewerly Co., Roger Dubois, Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Cartier is unveiling the Cartier Baignoire Grand Modele Watch a poetic addition to its Baignoire line first introduced in 1913. This Watch is in sync with its counterparts in Cartier Baignoire Collection with its oval face and pleasantly distorted numbers. This newer model has a larger sized case with a ultra-thin manually wound Piaget 430C movement. The Case is crafted from the increasingly popular rose gold with a silver dial. This luxurious timepiece is accentuated with Cartier's trademark in style: the blued hands, Roman numeral hands and a sapphire jewel cabochon set in the crown.

Amongst the Masters, a brand caught my eye - the Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewerly Co., a new joint venture between the Richemont Group (owns several of the world's leading companies in the field of luxury such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Panerai and Montblanc) and Polo Ralph Lauren who will join the brands showing at the SIHH and introduce its very first collection of Haute Horlogerie timepieces.

Another first at this years SIHH will be a cultural area displaying the achievements of the Fondation del la Haute Horlogerie. The FHH was established in 2005 in Geneva because of the rapid increase in watch making brands as well as the products that are created. Countless brands are releasing fine watch creations. FHH has taken on the role of providing information and guidance from the watch making specialists to the press as there has been an increasing interest from the media and the public.
The FHH is a modern Foundation which for the most part utilizes the Internet for the release of information.
In addition the FHH recognizes Luxury Watches have evolved from a "social aspiration" into a "cultural aspiration"
The FHH focuses its primary attention on information and training in Horology.

For the first time the SIHH will be held a full two months prior to BaselWorld 2009. Usually BaselWorld and SIHH overlapped making it easier for participants and the guests. BaselWorld 2009 will be held from March 26 to April 2, 2009 in Basel, Switzerland.

Cartier Roadster - The watch that makes the man.

I know three people who wear a Cartier Roadster:

A successful Real Estate Developer, in his 50's, a self made man, who never settles for anything less than the best. His desk and office furniture is custom made and he always has the Bloomberg Channel on. The streamlined picture- thin T.V screen hangs from a gold knob, perfectly matching the elegant cream, gold and cherry wood decor of his office. He wears a solid gold Roadster Chronograph with a date calender magnified at the 3 'o clock position, and this timepiece fits his image to perfection. Another watch on his hand would just look out of place.

The other guy I know wears a Stainless Steel Chronograph Roadster. He is 22, and the son of a wealthy diamond dealer. Sleek black hair, impeccable clothing and a relaxed friendly demeanor. He is slowly coming into his father's business. Very slowly. He does like fast sporty cars though. Last time I checked it was a black Mercedes AMG. His Stainless Steel Chronograph Roadster glints in the sun as he turns the wheel, shrieking around tree lined streets. His watch is him. I cannot picture him without his watch.

The last gentleman is the Manager of the Business Banking Section of our Bank in his mid thirties. He wears dark blue tailored suits with heavy white pin stripes and pointed shoes. He just had his first child and thus gave up his Porsche. He likes rock concerts and Season tickets and he likes the fact that his Roadster has three interchangeable straps. I noticed when he shakes hands, he extends his arm so that his Cartier Roadster is visible. His Roadster completes his image.

Cartier introduced Roadsters in 2001 for its 150th anniversary, and since then this particular watch collection has had astounding success. Cartier has even released a Roadster fragrance. The first men's fragrance release by Cartier in 8 years. The Roadster Timepiece is a sign of a successful confident man. The Roadster works for the wearer and all the elements of the timepiece are so finely integrated, these elements of the watch work for the Roadster.

Cartier's inspiration for the Roadster came from the world of luxury automobiles.
The Roadster is mechanical movement automatic winding Cartier Calibre 8510.
The hands of the Roadster are luminescent sword shaped black oxidized steel and the timepiece is water resistance to 100 meters. The crystal is scratch resistant sapphire.

The Cartier Tank Luxury Watch Collections

It is awe-inspiring the beauty and design Louis Cartier perceived in a vehicle of War. In 1917 Louis Cartier drew inspiration from the shape and form of the WW1 Renault Tank fighting a brave war on the Western Front and designed the Tank Watch.

The Tank Watch is an icon to the age of modernization where men gave up their stuffy pocket watches for the sleek design of the Tank Watch. Cartier Tank Watches have sleek proportional lines like those on the Renault Tank. Depending on the collections the watch faces are square or rectangle. A tank has blue, sword-shaped hands with silvered opaline guilloche dials. The winding crowns on tanks ,like many Cartier watches are topped with sapphire cabochons. The Tank's Roman Numerals are bold and distinct.

Cartier has released over 250 variations of the Tank over the past 90 years. An earlier model being the Tank Chinoise Watch, 1922 Art Deco inspired square watch with symmetrical cross bars. The Tank Francaise (above) is a newer 1996 version of the Tank fitted with a metal or gold bracelet which looks remarkably like the caterpillar treads of the Renault Tank.

Another exquisite tank masterpiece is the Tank Americaine. Its elongated dial and slim bracelet is perfection in balance and shape.

The Tank is exceedingly popular and has become a mark of refined elegance.

Cartier spins watches leaves nothing to the imagination.

Cartier enthralls the world of Horology and Jewerly with its exceptional masterpieces. Cartier has been creating for Kings and Queens, Prince and Princesses, Actors and Actresses, Man and Wife for the last 160 years. Each piece is a fine web of artistry and talent, exciting the brain and pleasuring the mind.

Yes! It is true. I have a favorite within the House of Cartier. It is the Tank Crash Watch from the Cartier Libre Collection available in 18-karat white gold or yellow gold with diamonds, the suggestion of a double bezel is quite dizzying to the eye. My eyes do not know where to look when viewing this watch, it almost seems two watches had a fight with a bottle of crazy glue. This watch is full of mystery and intrigue.

Cartier's brief yet powerful connection to The Historic Hope Diamond.

In Washington DC, the Smithsonian museum of Natural History displays a vivacious blue Diamond set in a circle of white diamonds, hanging from a splendid diamond chain. Its history is long, and ,at times, quite mysterious as the diamond is said to be cursed. Cartier had this diamond for a short period, and yet this stone was the source of one of the first of Pierre Cartier's greatest transactions. Pierre Cartier had bought the stone from Salomon Habib in 1909. Mounting the stone in its stunning setting, Pierre Cartier lent it to one of his loyal customers for the weekend, the wealthy heiress of the Washington Post and a well-known American personality, Mrs Evalyn Walsh McLean. As Pierre Cartier hoped, she became quite attached to the diamond and made the purchase.

The legend has it that this intense steely blue diamond, triangular in shape and crudely cut, was mined from the Kollur mines near Golconda, India It was placed either on one of the eyes of an Indian idol or on its forehead. It was stolen by an Indian priest who was captured and tortured for the theft. In 1642, the 112 3/16 carat blue diamond was purchased by a French jeweler, Jean Baptiste Tavernier on one of his numerous trips to India. He sold the diamond to Louis XIV "the sun king" in 1668 for a small fortune. His son squandered the money and so Travernier ,once again, set out on one of his lengthy journeys, to find fortune. In Russia he was attacked by a pack of wild dogs and died. Was this the curse of the diamond?

In 1673 Louis XIV had Sieur Pitau, the court jeweler, re-cut the diamond to enhance its brilliance and reduced it size to 67 1/8 carats. Louis XIV officially named the stone "Blue Diamond of the Crown". He often wore it on a long ribbon around his neck. In 1791, Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette tried to flee France and the blue diamond was turned over to the government. In September 1792, during a week long looting of the crown jewels, the French blue was stolen.

The stone resurfaces in 1812, in the possession of a London diamond merchant, Daniel Eliason. Possibly acquired by King George IV of England but sold after his death in 1830 to pay for his enormous debts. In 1939 the diamond is in the possession of Henry Phillip Hope who after much family feuding the diamond was passed from his nephew to his nephews grandson Lord Francis Hope. The Hope Family fortune dwindled and he was forced to sell the diamond. A London dealer bought the stone and quickly sold it to Joseph Frankels and Sons of New York City. Needing cash, they sold it to Selim Habib who sold it to Pierre Cartier in 1909 who ,in 1910, showed the diamond to Evalyn Walsh McLean at Cartiers in Paris. She did not like the diamond setting. However, Cartier knows its customers and its settings. They reset the diamond in a ring of sparkling white diamonds and lent it to her for the weekend. She could not part with the diamond and wore it extravagantly until her death in 1947.
In 1949, Harry Winston Inc. bought the diamond from her Estate and on November 10th, 1958, Harry Winston Inc. donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution where it is a popular attraction.

Cartier's stunning setting sold the Hope Diamond with its package of mystery and intrigue. Cartier continues to create exquisite watch and jewelry creations, fusing gem and metal in unique works of art.

Ballon Bleu Collection by Cartier

Cartier's ballon bleu watch evokes a sense of liquidity. It is as if a tiny bubble has attached itself to the exterior of the watch minimizing the Roman Numeral III. Within the bubble a vibrant blue stone shimmers, within its protective case. Slightly mysterious, yet strangely powerful. The slight irregularity in the case creates a unique and beautiful timepiece.

The blue stone encased within the bubble of the crown is the blue cabochon, a signature marker for Cartier since the Pasha of Marrakesh, in the early 1930's ordered a watch from Louis Carter that he could take swimming with him. The Cabochon in the crown made the crown more water resistant. With this signature blue, the Pasha collection was created, making a Cartier watch clearly recognizable quite a distance away.

The addition of the bubble surrounding the blue Cabochon has become a highly sought after timepiece. Available in three sizes, this watch makes for an exquisite timepiece for men or women.