SJX
[Purist]
8540
Custom orders have long been offered by Cartier
in watches and of course jewellery, and also other items. For watches Cartier can do almost anything, but there are several informal rules. One is that the custom order cannot be a lower price version of an existing model, i.e. no steel version of precious metal watch. Another is that it has to be coherent and in keeping with the model and brand identity. Though I can't reveal specifics, I have seen some interesting custom order timepieces by Cartier, including a Mystery wristwatch and a grande complication with a Renaud & Papi movement.
- SJX
Creativity by committee
Product development at Cartier is a rigorous and complicated undertaking involving dozens of people from marketing and technical development. Watches are not created in isolation but with careful regard to the overall brand strategy and identity. In fact,...
Great Post...
very informative of the on goings behind the scenes. Is the practice of custom orders something quire new in terms of horology and something that has come about due to the change in the market? It took me almost a year to convince Cartier to consider a cu...
Custom orders have long been offered by Cartier
in watches and of course jewellery, and also other items. For watches Cartier can do almost anything, but there are several informal rules. One is that the custom order cannot be a lower price version of an existing model, i.e. no steel version of preciou...
I wanted to
but unfortunately client confidentiality has to be preserved. What is notable is that the Mystery wristwatch was custom made some years before the release of the commercially available Santos 100 Mystere. The custom order was of course different from the ...
All too often the extensive and exhaustive work behind the
watches is forgotten and we concentrate on the final product. By doing so, it is all to easy to criticize without realizing the degree of thought behind the watch and that there may be areas that we have overlooked or ignored. Your photos and words are a ...
An telling anecdote
when I was discussing the Calibre de Cartier with one of the senior executives at headquarters in Paris, I mentioned that I thought the hands were too slim. The response was "I know", followed by an explanation that more than half a dozen hand sizes (not ...
Superb post
IMHO, the process has a lot of similarities in the car designing process, fashion industry.
You are right
it is a similar process for Cartier's other products like accessories and leather goods. No Cartier car (though I believe they did a co-branded Lincoln Town Car before). - SJX
Cool story
For me one of your most interesting posts about La Chaux-de-Fonds. Thanks SJX, GEO
Fantastic post, SJX. Thank you!
I, like many others I'm sure, am a believer of sorts in the saying "you get what you pay for." I love Cartier even more after reading this interesting post. Thank you for sharing!
wonderful post
an embarrassment of riches! I find the creative dimension intriguing. thanks for sharing. Jason