About Cartier
The name Cartier is synonymous with luxury, quality, and style. Founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier, the company became renowned worldwide for its design and production of beautiful jewelry and opulent objets d’art. A royal commission in 1904 made Cartier a supplier to Europe’s Crowned Heads of State and led England’s King Edward VII to describe Louis Cartier, grandson of the founder, as the jeweler of Kings, the King among jewellers.

By the early 20th century, Cartier had expanded its collection to include watches. At a time when pocket watches were still considered de rigueur for the distinguished gentleman, Cartier helped popularize the wristwatch, making it a bold fashion statement for men and women as well as a status symbol among the well-to-do. Louis Cartier is credited with creating the first men’s wristwatch, the Santos, in 1904. He developed and named the watch for his client and friend, the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who needed a device that would allow him to read the time without taking his hands off the controls of his airplane. Other classic designs followed, including Cartier's signature timepiece, the Tank, in 1917, and later Cartier's first water-resistant watch, the Pasha, created especially for the Pasha of Marrakesh.

Treasured by collectors, Cartier watches are distinguished by their impressive variety of shapes (round, square, oval, Tank, Tortue and Tonneau), by their exceptional materials and workmanship, and by their recognizable Cartier aesthetic, an elegant blend of classic and modern design.