Why Cartier has always been the watchmaker of shapes, as told by Image, Style, and Heritage Director Pierre Rainero

Russell Sheldrake

To understand the key to Cartier’s success is understand its mastery of shapes. Since they started making watches at the beginning of the 20th century, the Parisian house has moulded and sculpted timepieces into shapes that others could only copy. Creativity has always been at the heart of what Cartier does, and it can be seen from the brand’s jewellery, the accessories, and of course, the watches. But what we believe has taken Cartier to the next level in terms of its legacy in this area is that it does not ignore this past, it embraces and amplifies it through its current creations.

The first ever Cartier Tank was designed and made in 1917, a year when wristwatches were still in their infancy. Yet this strong, elegant, and iconic shape has been faithfully adhered to by the brand ever since and adored by fans for just as long. And the Tank is not an isolated example either. We can turn to any of the weird and wonderful forms that Cartier watches continue to take right now and show just as dedicated a following and similar fervour from the brand in doing these original designs justice.

To get an idea of exactly how one company is capable of staying dedicated to designs for over 100 years, we spoke to a man who has been there nearly longer than anyone else – Pierre Rainero, the Image, Style, and Heritage Director at Cartier. We met with Rainero at the Cartier booth at Watches & Wonders to discuss this very topic. In the context of the brand releasing yet another iconic design into the modern Privé collection, this year being the Tortue time-only and Monopoussoir chronograph, it seemed timely for us to discuss the brand’s historic performance when it comes to making watches that do not conform to the rules or restrictions many assume a wristwatch should adhere to.

It’s true, Cartier hasn’t always been perfect in its execution of watches. There have been periods where it didn’t do its design prowess justice, but the watches it’s producing today have a strong link back to the original, and possibly best, forms that the company has ever produced. While the Tortue is just the latest in this run of releases, we already had the Tank Normale, the Crash, the Tank Asymétrique, and many others that today make up the Privé collection. These display the epitome of what Cartier is capable of when the brand decides to pay true homage to its historic designs.