Cartier Brand Fan

Cartier Panther: First Used in an Invitation Cartier Commissioned from Illustrator Georges Barbier & then in Abstract Art Deco Watch Design by Cartier's Principal Designer Charles Jacqueau in 1915

In 1914, Cartier first commissioned Georges Barbier of Gazette du bon ton fame to illustrate an invitation card showing a woman with a panther.*  His watchmaker and principal designer, Charles Jacqueau, then produced a timepiece in 1915 of an abstract panther design, using onyx and diamonds to depict the cat's coat - the first use of the panther motif in Cartier jewelry.

The panther, now so synonymous with Cartier, was a prominent icon of the Art Deco period. According to an article in ProfessionalJeweler.com magazine, unlike the "leisurely Edwardian era" the big cat "symbolized the human nature as untamed and unpredictable, covered by a thin veneer of civilized culture."  The Jazz Age era of flappers, Prohibition, gangsters, and fast livin' was well served by an image of a sleekly beautiful, but incredibly dangerous animal.

* For more on this, check out Made by Cartier: 150 Years of Tradition & Innovation by Franco Cologni and Ettore Mocchetti.

Cartier Tank Americaine Celebrates the Allied Victory in WW1 & Looked Great on Jackie O

The Tank Watch stands alone. Period. Jackie O knew how to rock that watch.

Elegant-Lifestyle.com magazine put the Cartier Tank Americaine on its list of the 10 Most Legendary Watches you can still buy today. After consulting the Wristwatch Annual, a passel of experts, and some all-around head-scratching, they devised their list of watches which "must have left a mark in the history of watchmaking but still be available in watch shops or at selected jewellers." (photo from http://brysonburke.com/jeweler_cartier.html)

The Tank Americaine was inspired by the American tanks that helped out the French during World War 1. First sketched in 1917 by Louis Cartier, they went on sale in 1919 - a year after the allied victory. General Pershing, the American forces commander, was given the prototype.

Famous tank afficionados:

• Jackie O
• Gianni Agnelli - Fiat heir & party animal

Check this cool site out for some Tank Watch porn: they have a whole section devoted to nuthin' but Tanks: http://cartier.watchfinder.co.uk/Tank_Americaine/

• W26033L1 15,800 GBP White Gold, gents, Quartz Chronograph
• W26011K2 14,500 GBP, gents, yellow gold quartz chronography

The Cartier Crash Watch - Salvador Dali, a Gruesome Death & an Inspired Design

How much do we love the Cartier Crash watch?

Here's the backstory according Richard Paige http://www.timezone.com/library/comarticles/comarticles0025: During the 1960s, one of the VPs from Cartier London was killed in a car crash. In the flaming aftermath, his Cartier Bagnoire Alongee watch melted on his wrist, taking on a Salvador Dali-esque look and inspiring Cartier to create a tribute in his honor: the Crash.

The original Crash was made with 18k gold, with an 18k pink gold clasp & the world "London" on the dial and the back of the case. Jaeger LeCoultre made, & signed, much of this version which now goes for between $15,000 to $25,000.

The Crash was re-issued in 1991, in a limited run of 300 pieces at $12,000 each. The dial is white, and signed with "Paris" on the dial and the back of the case. Now, they go for $15-17,000. In 1993, a special platinum edition was produced for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Switzerland.

Paige thinks that the value of the Crash might be affected by the recent re-release of the watch in a "limited execution" run as a production ladies dress watch in 18k gold - yellow, white, or the pricey rose gold version with matching rose colored diamonds that will set you back $73,000.

Dali portrait by www.Projuventute.at