Cartier SIHH 2014 Collection Review

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Small-luxury-world provides an in-depth review of Cartier's SIHH 2014 collection, emphasizing the brand's commitment to high-end watchmaking while maintaining its iconic design DNA. The article highlights how Cartier, under the leadership of Carole Forestier-Kasapi and Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, continues to innovate across various horological segments.

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Cartier is something like a synonym for refined luxury, style and elegance. In other words, its creations sell on many different aspects of the luxury trade, fine watchmaking being one of them - but not an essential one. Cartier could have lived without, certainly without high end watchmaking…

Then came Louis Cartier and, at an early stage, firmly imprinted watchmaking into the core of the brand. His designs were legendary, inspired by the then cutting edge technology of military and aviation machinery - and ripe enough to develop into veritable icons:

From left the Cartier Santos (1904), the Tank (1917) and the Tortue (1929) - all of the very much alive these days!

But the company was not content to produce jewellery, luxury goods and fine lifestyle watches - they wanted more, they wanted to conquer the highest summits of watchmaking...

But to be credible in the world of haute horlogerie technical expertise is not enough. There needs to be a cogent connection to the identity of your brand.

What follows now is the remarkable achievement of two like-minded women.

Imagine this:

Put someone in place which is able to master all (classical) complications of watchmaking and feels only challenged when it goes even further. In addition you need someone with the same amount of passion, but is “crazy” about Cartier-like details/DNA and with a strong vision for the brand.

We are talking here about Carole Forestier-Kasapi, head of Cartier's Fine Watchmaking department, and Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, International Marketing Director of the maison. Cartier is lucky enough to have those (at least) two people and even better they meet (at a secret place ? ) frequently each week.

And so were we, as we were granted significant quality time with Ms Forestier-Kasapi, who explained to us the novelties in great detail and passion:

Cartier - the power house is creating novelties in large numbers and they do it every year.

We (Magnus & Oliver) would like to introduce you some of their latest pieces, but only those we have seen in the metal.

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2014-02-23 10:23:02

Key Points from the Discussion

Cartier's SIHH 2014 collection showcased technical creativity with timepieces like the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire and the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon, both offering innovative interpretations of their functions.
The Ballon Bleu de Cartier collection is considered by the Maison as a bridge between history and innovation, a 'watch from another world' with beautiful curves.
The Calibre de Cartier Diver was an unexpected but prominent 'talking piece' at SIHH, designed as a masculine tool watch for everyday wear and extreme conditions, featuring Cartier's first in-house automatic movement.
The Tank collection offerings for 2014 combined the iconic Tank watch with the art of transparency, resulting in the Tank Louis Cartier Sapphire Skeleton and the Tank MC Two-tone Skeleton.
Cartier's 'Creative Elegance' theme paid homage to historic features, presenting the Rotonde de Cartier Day and Night, and the two Tank skeleton watches, celebrating both geometric style and the art of skeletonization.
Despite Cartier's strong horological advancements, some collectors still primarily view it as a jeweler, though acknowledging its recent mastery in technical watchmaking, particularly with complex pieces like the Astrocalendaire and Earth and Moon.

The Discussion

small-luxury-world

Feb 22, 2014

Hands on with Calibre de Cartier Diver

An unexpected watch for a house like Cartier, the Calibre de Cartier Diver is an addition to the successful Calibre de Cartier collection, a collection that houses a first for the brand: its first completely in-house automatic movement (more a bit below). It developed into one of the most prominent talking pieces at SIHH... Cartier designed the Diver as an unmistakeably masculine watch for both everyday wear and extreme conditions. It meets the challenge of combining Cartier's style with the tec

foversta

Feb 22, 2014

The Calibre Diver is one of most important watches of the SIHH

I was seduced by this watch which manages to be a diving watch while keeping all the Cartier details! A very refined diving watch. Thanks for the article! Fx

Ornatus-Mundi

Feb 24, 2014

+1, certainly one of the most significant watches of the show...

perhaps comparable to the new Montblanc Heritage collection. Magnus

ThomasM

Feb 27, 2014

Cartier Calibre Diver - it's an important model for Cartier

Cartier Calibre Diver dive watch - it's an important model for Cartier, but for me, I was much more impressed by their fantastic jewelry pieces and high complications. I'm normally not a jewelry watch aficionado but their Metier des Artes models are just spectacular.

ThomasM

Feb 27, 2014

Cartier Dive watch - well built, practical, well priced

Mind you, the Cartier Calibre Diver is well built, practical, well priced and almost for sure will be a commercial success...just not to my personal taste. It is very handsome on the wrist...

Marcus Hanke

Feb 28, 2014

Your fine pictures clearly reveal the weakness of the design ...

... which , IMHO, takes all the communication regarding the dive watch ISO, tool watch characteristics, etc. ad absurdum: The dial is cluttered with so many white lines, shapes and outlines, that the most important element of the watch, the hands, practically disappear. At least at a quick glance, the hands are barely visible, and one has to search for them, among all the other oversized, white design the hands a black finish (except the white C! SuperLuminova) does not make it easier. It is a

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