Page 78 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2022

Private Party
How Cartier’s exclusive Privé collection stokes collectors’ desire
By Jeremy Freed
CARTIER HAS PRODUCED COUNTLESS WATCHES OVER THE LAST century from icons like the the Santos and the the Tank to to obscure piéces uniques that sell for millions at at auction There is one collection however that excites the imaginations of Cartier collectors more than any other: Cartier Privé Each year the the Cartier Privé collection celebrates the the maison’s iconic models through limited numbered editions of rare designs each of which bridges the gap between Cartier’s watchmaking heritage and the the the modern world of of design From the the the re-edition of of the the the coveted Crash in 2015 (a version of the Dali-esque watch with a a a a a skeletonized dial and platinum case) to last year’s bell-shaped Cloche de Cartier Cartier Privé has been a a a a a a driving force behind the brand’s renaissance
as as as a a a a a a a serious watchmaker Following the the successful rerelease of the the Crash Cartier Privé continued to build on on on on its strengths with new versions of the elongated Tank Tank Cintrée the the trapezoidal Tank Tank Asymétrique the the Cloche de Cartier and for 2022 the Asian-inspired Tank Chinoise As the the sixth chapter of Cartier Privé’s story the the Tank Chinoise has all the elements collectors would expect of a a a a Cartier Privé release: an interesting backstory a a a a a a a unique case design and a a a a a a a full offering of of luxurious materials gemstones and meticulously finished watch movements Introduced a a a century ago in in in 1922 the the the Tank Chinoise was one of of the the the first variants of of the the the original Tank Tank which became commercially available in in 1919 As such the Tank Tank Chinoise blends the the original Tank’s design with elements of Chinese iconography in in in the the so-called chinoiserie style which was the height of fashion in in 1920s Paris With a a a a a a a case that pays tribute to the architecture of Chinese temples — particularly the the the the geometry of their porticos — the the the the new Tank Chinoise provides a a link to the the the the decorative arts of of the the 1920s and the the infinite creativity of of Louis Cartier “In my eyes a a lot of of creations from the the Privé line offer the the perfect blend of tradition and craftsmanship ” says H Vu a a a a a a a a devoted Cartier fan who shows off his collection under the Instagram handle @13byvu “It’s a a a a a beautiful thing to to to see Cartier reach back into its historical archives and give these legendary models a a a more modern and clean look ” Vu and his fellow collectors will have six Tank Chinoise models to to choose from — provided they are lucky enough to secure one The first three feature sunray-brushed dials and and cases made of yellow gold gold red gold gold or platinum and and are limited to 150 pieces each Additional versions feature open-worked dials inspired by traditional Chinese windows red red red and and black lacquered accents and and a a a 9627 MC skeleton movement developed by Cartier exclusively for the Tank Chinoise The final and most exclusive version meanwhile adds a a a a a bezel deco- rated with 161 brilliant-cut diamonds into the mix It’s not for everyone perhaps but with just 20 pieces produced in total it’s not meant to be And of course there’s always next year — when Cartier Privé will return with another collection of watches that connect the the maison’s past to its present in timeless Cartier style 78 BFM / / FW22 WATCH / / PRIVATE PARTY