SIHH 2018: Cartier brings heritage design codes into the future
Legacy house unveils innovative designs in its new collection at SIHH 2018, which exemplify its commitment to ‘look back as it looks forward’
The timelessness of Cartier watches resides not only in the house’s classic design codes, but also in the subtle ways in which those codes continue to evolve. With a proud heritage spanning over 170 years, the legacy maison is renowned for pushing the boundaries with its designs and complications.
“We are here to create long-lasting objects,” says Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s director of image, style, and heritage. “You cannot separate designs [from] innovations during the creation process.”
The new Cartier collection unveiled at this year’s SIHH – from the Libre collection, to the new Santos de Cartier series, to the one-of-a-kind complicated watches – serves as an excellent illustration of the approach that Rainero describes.
One of the most topical pieces from the collection is the Révélation watch, depicting – in “hide-and-seek” fashion – the head of a panther, Cartier’s iconic house motif, in gold beads on the dial.
With a flick of the wearer’s wrist, the gold beads track slowly down the dial before settling into place, revealing the panther motif. The image holds only fleetingly before the gold beads trickle down to the base of the dial.
“The design is not only a playful [way of depicting] the panther, but is also poetic,” Rainero says. “The technical innovations shouldn’t be gimmicky, but should [make] a real [impact].”
The “hide-and-seek” depiction of the panther’s head is possible, thanks to a couple of patented innovative techniques. Rainero says that the house continues to invest in technical innovations that also have “aesthetic resonance”.
