CARTIER WATCHES

Louis Francois Cartier founded Cartier in 1847, in Paris, when he replaced his master as the owner of the workshop where he was apprenticing. His son Alfred inherited the business in 1874, but his sons Louis, Pierre, and Jacques were ultimately responsible for establishing Cartier as an international luxury brand synonymous with impeccable taste and style. Cartier S.A. is a luxury jeweler and manufacturer of high end watches with a hugely broad appeal. Cartier watches remain sought after by watch connoisseurs and stylish fashionistas alike.

In 1904, Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviator friend of Louis Cartier complained to him of the impracticality of using pocket watches to tell time while flying. Louis, in his characteristic pioneering spirit, designed a thin wristwatch with a distinctive flat square shaped bezel. This watch proved to be a huge success with Santos-Dumont and also with all of Cartier’s wide range of customers. It spawned the elegant and iconic Cartier Santos watch collection.

In 1907, Cartier Watches went into contract with Edmond Jaeger, of the famed watch companyJaeger-LeCoultre, for them to exclusively provide the movements for its line of watches. By then Cartier was an internationally known brand with locations in New York, London, and St. Petersburg and speedily growing into one of the most popular and wildly successful watch companies worldwide.  

Cartier contributed significantly to over all watch design by inventing and patenting the very popular “watch deployment clasp” in 1910.

The Cartier Tortue and Baignoire watch models were introduced in 1912 and are still in production today.  Same goes for the timeless classic, the elegant Cartier Tank, which was presented in 1917 and is still one of Cartier’s most recognizable watch designs. It remains ubiquitous in its appeal among status conscious watch buyers all over the world.

In 1930 the Pasha of Marrakech requested that Cartier produce a fully water proof jeweled watch for his pleasure. This was the forerunner of the famed Cartier Pasha line of watches which has a huge following among the more sports oriented luxury watch buyer.

The Cartier Watch Co. has a lengthy and impressive history of serving many royal houses and celebrities across the cultural spectrum.  They were proclaimed “Joaillier des Rois, Roi des Joailliers” meaning “Jeweler to Kings, King of Jewelers” by one Prince of Wales and were given the order to produce 27 tiaras for the future king’s coronation.

Ashford.com offers a wide selection of authentic Cartier watches at discounted prices and superior customer service. Enjoy a hassle free shopping experience with our two year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee on our entire inventory.