Cartier Watches

About Cartier Watches

Cartier was founded in 1874 in Paris, France by Louis-Francois Cartier. Shortly after the founding of Cartier, his son took over the company, and soon after his grandsons Louis, Pierre, and Jacques took the business global. In 1903, the company developed its first wrist watches on request from a Brazilian pilot. This pilot sparked the name of the wrist watch: "Santos". The grandsons of Louis Cartier made two integral advancements for the company: the mystery clock and the "Tutti Frutti" jewels. In 1907, the company signed a contract with Edmond Jaeger, which made him the exclusive supplier of movements for the company’s watches. That same year, Cartier opened boutiques in London, New York City, and St. Petersburg. By opening these boutiques, the company was finally a global brand. Although it started late, through brilliant management, the company became one of the most successful watch companies in the world.

In 1912, Cartier introduced two new models of watches, the Baignore and the Tortue. Five years later it introduced the Tank model. All three of these models have become Cartier icons in its watch collections. Cartier watches became so successful that companies began to imitate its watches, and as a result of this, in the 1920's the company started putting reference numbers each of its watches, which helped the company know which watches were real and which were fake. The Cartier family tradition ended in 1972 when a group of investors led by Joseph Kanoui bought the company. Nine years later, in 1981, the company merged with "Les Must de Cartier." The merger helped the company in 1988, when it acquired a majority holding in Piaget and Baume & Mercier. In 1994, the company moved to Rivee Gauche, which has become its new home and still is today. Currently, the company is owned by the Rupert family and has more than 200 stores in 125 countries.

Cartier has many collections: the Happy Birthday, Trinity de Cartier, LOVE, Panthere de Cartier, Santos de Cartier, Carese d'orchideees par Cartier, La Dona de Cartier, Tank Francaise, Pasha de Cartier, Collection les Must. All of these collections have their own unique style, and all of them have made Cartier a world-famous watch and jewelry company. Within these collections are Cartier’s most famous timepieces, Calibre de Cartier, Pasha de Cartier, Ligne 21 de Cartier, and Tank. These timepieces have become the standard for luxury watches. In order to become successful, the company has always lived by its Corporate Responsibility Policy, which is “a commitment towards society as a whole and to represent the Cartier Company through a commitment to excellence."

The company has also been made famous for its heritage. This awareness is an integral part of its current commercial role. The rich heritage has also helped Cartier maintain its style and expertise over the years. This helps give the company a source of knowledge and inspiration for re-doing old designs and creating new ones. This, along with the master watchmakers that Cartier has, are the reasons why the company has survived and succeeded throughout the years.