Beyond the timeless aesthetics and rich legacy of Cartier timepieces, there is the maison’s commanding 355,000sqft manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where new classic timepieces are created and assembled. The meeting point of modernity and watchmaking tradition, the Cartier Manufacture is one of the country’s largest fully integrated watch production facilities, which we were privileged to visit earlier this April with Anne-Karelle Hocq, who is Cartier Horlogerie’s head of Transformation and Communication.
During the tour, Hocq explained briefly the five steps in creating a Cartier watch. The design or development phase begins with sketches, which lead to mock-ups and prototypes. Then comes conception, where the technical aspect of the watch is worked on, followed by industrialisation. “This is where we look into the manufacturing of each component and creating of the tools needed to make them, as well as the assembly of the watch,” she added.
Next is the actual watch production, then a final inspection is done on the completed timepieces before they’re sent to various retail boutiques. Customer service is the another step. “Cartier watches can be serviced for life. While simpler repairs are done at the boutique, we do more complex work here like making parts for older models that aren’t available anymore.
This can be special at times because we’ve received Cartier watches from as far back as the 19th century, so it’s like having a piece of history come to us,” Hocq elaborated.
The adage Rome wasn’t built in a day applies to each Cartier timepiece. Perfection takes time and the maison has about 150 projects running at once, with the development of each new watch ranging from one to two years depending on its complexity. It was fascinating to see the many alternate sketches of the Ballon Bleu before its final design. Also on display were the different prototypes: 3D-printed resin versions and technical ones to see the feasibility of a QuickSwitch bracelet, for instance.
Non-functional prototypes are sometimes loaned to the marketing department for publicity shoots, and Hocq recalled one in particular: “We’d lent a Panthère prototype for a shoot in 2017, but it was returned damaged and filled with water. It was only when we saw the Sofia Ford Coppola-directed Panthère campaign, in which the model dives into a pool with the watch, that we realised it was used for that shoot. The creation was only an aesthetic prototype, so it wasn’t water-resistant.”
Every new timepiece and its components like the dial, case, bracelet and sapphire crystal must go through a validation phase. This encompasses mechanical and chemical tests carried out in controlled lab settings, such as resistance to shocks and magnetism, waterproofness, climatic and even acidic tests to simulate the effect of perspiration on the watch.
We were led into a demonstration room featuring a battery of tests each watch is put through, some of which aren’t for the faint- hearted. During the Accidental Drop test, there was a collective gasp when a prototype watch was released from a height onto a hard surface. And we flinched when a hefty metal ball bearing was dropped on a sapphire crystal. “This phase takes about two months because we want to test everything to ensure quality. The international warranty of a Cartier timepiece is eight years, so we’re simulating the life of the watch essentially,” said Hocq.
Another intriguing process is the production of mineral crystal. While hardier, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal used on most classic watches is typically machine cut, watches with unconventional case shapes such as the Cartier Crash or Bagnoire require a hand-made mineral crystal. A flat piece of the mineral glass is heated under a blue flame to about 500 deg C in this technique that combines traditional glasswork savoir faire with watchmaking precision. The heat causes the mineral glass to soften and pour into the mould it’s placed in. Only a skilled artisan knows when the desired shaped is formed by just looking at the reflection of a white spot cast onto the crystal during the heating process.
Cartier has also mastered the art of producing watch hands – a component that not all major manufactures produce we discover, and with good reason. It’s an intensive process of about 20 steps that employs about 12 different crafts, such as hammering, cutting and polishing. Steel hands are oxidised and placed in kilns that are heated to 350 deg C for a specific length of time to obtain the iconic Cartier blue hue. Each hour, minutes and seconds hand is selected and colour-matched to ensure that a watch has hands in the exact same shade. Hocq shed light on the origins of blue hands: “Watches in the past weren’t water-resistant and to protect hands from rust, watchmakers in the 19th century started to oxidise them, which imbued the metal with this particular colour.”
Products of Cartier’s stringent processes of design, testing, manufacture and more, these classic timepieces were unveiled at Watches and Wonders Geneva this March to great fanfare.
PASHA DE CARTIER
Utterly contemporary despite debuting in the flashy 1980s, the watch for extroverts defies convention with a grid over the dial, reinforcing the model’s strong graphic signature. The hand-polished grid is easily detachable, thanks to a clever system of four tiny clasps and a spring that allows the watch to be worn two ways. The Pasha de Cartier Grille watch is available in an all-gold 41mm version, as well as in 30mm and 35mm jewellery versions.
Other additions to the collection are the Moonphase, Skeleton and Flying Tourbillon Pasha de Cartier models. A romantic moonphase movement in a midnight-blue circle contrasts beautifully against the watch’s bold design.
Equipped with the manufacture 1904 LU MC movement, this model is available in an all-gold or steel version. A signature movement for the Skeleton timepiece, the 9524MC calibre emphasises the watch’s strength along with four oversized Arabic numerals surrounding the square railway track within the circular dial. Two versions are offered: a limited-edition white gold jewellery model paved with baguette-cut diamonds and a steel edition with black ADLC for the case and Super-Luminova for the bridges and hands.
The Flying Tourbillon 9552 MC calibre, with hours and minutes, is another signature complication of Cartier Fine Watchmaking that fits perfectly into the aesthetic of a 41mm Pasha de Cartier model in rose gold.
BALLON BLEU DE CARTIER
Launched in 2007, this elegant dress watch with its large, round cabochon crown guard bears the quintessential Cartier DNA – a clean dial with Roman numerals and railroad tracks. The latest self-winding mechanical ladies’ models in 33mm and 36mm boast a dressed-up matte silvered stamped sunray dial with Roman numerals at 12 o’clock and 21 brilliant-cut diamonds. Presented on a blue or burgundy alligator leather strap, or an interchangeable rose gold bracelet, the new editions are also offered with diamond-set bezels.
TANK
Flaunting a red and anthracite grey dial are two new large Tank Louis Cartier models in yellow gold and rose gold respectively. Depending on the light and angle of the watch, each dial boasts a captivating geometric motif – recreated from a pattern on a 1980s Cartier Must watch – that is rich in shade and depth. This effect is achieved by an electrochemical engraving technique, a first for the maison, that allows for high- precision markings to be made, imparting a contemporary aesthetic to the timeless watch.
Minimalists will love the third version of a yellow gold Tank Louis Carter with a deep black dial, as well as the latest steel Tank Must in an all-black dial. The understated watch is offered in both small and large models.
PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER
Cartier’s quintessential jewellery watch now boasts four new quartz movement models in steel, rose or yellow gold with coloured dials in golden plum, golden brown, midnight blue and black.
Capturing your attention first is the brilliance of the subtle, iridescent gradations of the satin dial, which adds a jewel-like quality to the ultra-feminine 22mm by 30mm watch that was first introduced in 1983.
SANTOS
In honour of the historical model, the Santos-Dumont collection debuts three new 43.5mm by 31.4mm versions featuring lacquer details – a first for the line. Three colour and case metal variations are offered: burgundy and platinum (limited edition of 150 pieces), beige and rose gold (limited edition of 250 pieces), as well as black and steel. They are first coated with a thin layer of lacquer, then smoothed and polished by hand. The finesse of the translucent lacquer adds brilliance, relief and depth to the dial colours.
Lastly, the Santos de Cartier gets a sporty update with a blue PVD bezel that’s teamed with a blue or white dial. The 47.5mm by 39.8mm steel creation with a bracelet is a striking piece, especially when worn with the second QuickSwitch strap in blue rubber.
