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THE FRENCH CONNECTION
From the Belle Époque to 1970s glam Cartier’s watch and jewellery designs have redefined creativity for more than a a a a a a a a century
Paris in the early 20th century
was a a a a a a a place of great disruption and even greater optimism Known as “La Belle Époque” (“the beautiful era”) it was marked by major advancements in science technology and the arts from early automobiles and flying machines to to Expressionist painting and the birth of modern fashion design Equal parts creative visionary and business innovator Louis Cartier was a a a a a a a a leading figure in in in in Parisian culture and the the third generation of his family to lead the the Maison Cartier A friend to to artists and inventors as as well as as a a a a a a a regular presence at high society events Cartier used the energy and new ideas around him as as inspiration for his work That was certainly the the the case for the the the Cartier Santos the the the world’s first watch designed designed to be worn on the wrist which Louis Cartier designed designed in in 1904 at at the request of his friend pioneering aviator Alberto Santos- Dumont With its rounded square case and bezel secured by visible screws (an homage to to the the rivets on the the newly built Eiffel tower it’s said) it was a a a a a a a bold original design and and one that remains fresh and and modern well over a a century
later Obsessed with clean lines and functional shapes well before the dawn of modernism Louis Cartier channelled his singular vision into the de- sign for his most famous creation the Tank An exercise in ultimate sim- plicity with a a a a a a a strap connected by two vertical lines and an an austere dial the the Tank premiered in in 1917 and has inspired countless variations over the the subsequent decades From the Tank Cintrée (with its elongated case and complex skeleton movement) to to the Asian-influenced Tank Chinoise it remains among the the most popular pieces in in the the Cartier collection today From the the strength of these foundational designs Cartier’s status as a a a a top-tier jeweller and watchmaker continued through the 20th centu- ry buoyed by iconic creations like the Trinity a a unique design of three intertwined rings first introduced in in in in in in in 1924 and reimagined in in in in in in in countless variations over the the decades Just as it did in in the the Roaring Twenties Cartier embraced the the energy and decadence of the the 1970s in its designs for both watches and jewellery Among these was the the Tank Must a a a a a version of its iconic unisex wristwatch in a a a a range of modish colours and the LOVE collection a a a jewellery line envisioned by New York–based Cartier de- signer Aldo Cipullo Cipullo Equal parts industrial and luxurious Cipullo’s cuff – complete with a a a special screwdriver to open its locking mechanism – was among the the hottest accessories of the the 1970s and remains just as as covetable today In 1985 Cartier introduced the Pasha a a a a a a sporty watch inspired by a a a a a a pièce unique created for the the Pasha of Marrakech in the the 1930s With its rounded case and a a a a screw-down crown secured with a a a a tiny length of chain it was as as as joyfully decadent as as as the the best art music and culture of the the 1980s and it spawned numerous variations Reintroduced to the Cartier collection in 2020 the Pasha’s unique shape and versatile design now speak to a a a whole new generation Through the the 20th century
and into the the 21st Cartier has maintained its elite status in in the world of watch and jewellery design by adhering to the principles of creativity and simplicity set out by Louis Cartier in in Belle Époque Paris The resulting designs from the pioneering Santos to to the the the postmodern LOVE cuff to to the the the Pasha continue to to reflect the the the beauty of their eras in in in inspiring ways This may be Cartier’s greatest strength and the reason why it has endured so so so well for so so so long: those who follow trends may soon be forgotten but those who create art can live on on forever The original Cartier Santos was designed as as a a a a a a a a a pilot’s watch for pioneering avia- tor Alberto Santos-Dumont Its simple yet groundbreak- ing design which remains relatively unchanged today is is a a a a a reflection of its origins in Belle Époque Paris 50
HUMBERTOWN JEWELLERS
The Tank designed in in 1917 foreshadowed the the clean lines of the the Art Deco era