Cartier is one of the best known brands of luxury watches in the world and has a history of manufacturing some of the best looking and best quality watches that money can buy. The history of Cartier watches is filled with technical innovation, as well as good looks and the production of prestigious collectors’ pieces. If you’re looking to buy a watch that has a long history then buying a top quality, used Cartier watch is a great way to do so.
The History Of Cartier Watches – The Cartier Family
Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier but it wasn’t until 1904 that the company took its first steps into becoming one of the leading names in watch manufacturing in the world. Alberto-Santos Dumont complained that pocket watches were not reliable or practical especially when travelling and friend Louis Cartier took up the challenge of crafting a more reliable alternative.
The History Of Cartier Watches – The Santos
The Santos wristwatch was manufactured as a result and this is widely regarded as being the first men’s wristwatch to be created. It was a flat wristwatch with a square bezel and the design can still be seen in modern Cartier watches. Louis Cartier continued to create watches for the world renowned family of jewellers.
In 1907, Edmond Jaeger and Cartier signed a deal that saw Jaeger create the mechanisms for all Cartier watches and the watch making family had already established outlets in Paris, London, New York, and St Petersburg,
The History Of Cartier Watches – The Next Models
The next watches to be introduced in the range were the Baignoire and Tortue models which were manufactured in 1912 and in 1917 the Tank model was first introduced. All three of these models, including the Tank range which was designed on the war machine of the same name, are still in production today although they have obviously been updated and improved since then.
The History Of Cartier Watches
Since 1972, various parts of the Cartier brand have been sold and bought back by the Cartier family and the Cartier brand is now a subsidiary of Campagnie Financiere Richemont SA but regardless of the ownership of the company, it continues to produce high quality and highly sought after wristwatches.
