Cartier - Shaken and Stirred
WORLDTEMPUS - 31 January 2011
"We're number one. Of everything," came the first remark of Cartier CEO Bernard Fornas when I met with him during SIHH this year. A rather bold statement considering what I had just walked past at the Palexpo to reach the - admittedly - impressive Cartier booth. This was a stand that not only showed off the brand's new products, but also hosted an impressive exhibit of historic Cartier timepieces, including several of Cartier's signature mysterious clocks.
If you did not know any better, you would think Fornas was talking nonsense in terms of being "numero uno" in horology. But then again, you would be excused if you had not yet have seen the ticking wonders that leave the premises of the impressive Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is not only one of the largest and most complete horological production facilities in Switzerland, this address is also is inhabited by super talent Carole Forestier-Kasapi, head watchmaker for the incredible haute horlogerie collection that Cartier has ramped up since 2008.
Numero Uno
The latest of these high-end wonders were previewed by a selected group of journalists through the Cartier Fine Watchmaking Club in December 2010, just a few weeks before the SIHH. Therefore, as I sit with Fornas during my SIHH interview, I am not left wondering what he begins to sketch out in front of me.
The Astroregulateur, the Astrotourbillon, and a Calibre de Cartier (Calibre 9909 MC) with a unique worldtimer function that even indicates your level of jetlag -as well as other creative and innovative timepieces - sit atop the pyramid that Bernad Fornas has sketched out.
"We are number one, because we cover every single level of the pyramid. Haute horlogerie, jewelry pieces, and entry level steel watches for both men and women," Fornas proudly explains while leaning in to add strength to his words and pointing at the pyramid he has drawn on a piece of paper in front of him.
As Fornas tells me that Cartier is also number one in terms of creative thinking, he opens a leather case full of remarkable, and, yes, very creative jewelry watches to make his point. I have no reason to doubt his words: the diamond-encrusted crocodile-and-tourbillon piece is very creative as are the Rotonde de Cartier pieces with their wildlife portraits including a wood marquetry grizzly bear and a mosaic-tiled turtle.
No reason for humility
This type of creative thinking clearly defines Cartier as one of those companies that loves to propagate the various handcrafts and arts that make up the world of miniature beauty. However, Cartier's various tourbillons, complexly thought-out timepieces containing miniscule improvements on chronometry, and naturally the innovative worldtimer shown at the SIHH 2011 also prove that Cartier has become a serious watchmaker. On this subject Fornas remarks, "Cartier is a cocktail of jeweler and watchmaker. Our savoir faire should be clear in anything we do. We have no reason to be humble." Fornas smiles knowingly and then escorts me to the showcases that exhibit everything from simple steel watches to bombastic jewelry watches worth several hundred thousand euros.
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