Short-hand for sophistication

Late one Sunday afternoon at home — sometime in 2017 — while out in the garden with a spade in my hands, I found a Cartier Santos Galbée 32mm. It was lying on its side in a thicket I’d intended to clear for months. While the watch’s condition indicated a long and lonely time in that bush — through years of frosty mornings, irrigation, storms, mud, and scorching heat — I thought it was in relatively good nick and would be a good candidate for a not-too-invasive restoration.

But what of its origins? How had it found its way into a bush in my garden? Had the previous homeowner lost it while weeding? Or had a guest had far too festive a time at a garden party? Crucially, was it the genuine article? For whatever reason, I decided it was fake, placed it in a jewellery box, and all but forgot about it.

Earlier this year, five years later, I found myself in Switzerland at the kind of place where all my questions could be answered and I wondered about my curious find, still lying in that box somewhere in the house. A recent email from a reader noted: “Some time ago I bought my partner a watch and a piece of jewellery from Cartier; some years later she remarked: ‘Cartier is shorthand for sophistication.’”

For over 175 years, this shorthand has been studied by millions, adored by princesses — Meghan, Kate, and Diana, who had two Tanks — and gilded by Hollywood in iconic screen moments. Just recently, at the Venice Film Festival’s 80th anniversary, the brand with such strong and long-standing links with cinema threw a party that saw contemporary screen stars, among them Emma Corrin, Maude Apatow, and Paul Mescal, decked out in designer gear accessorised with Cartier watches and jewellery.

In parent company Richemont’s FY22 annual report, Cartier is one of the brands singled out for its outstanding performance and market leadership, coming off a difficult time at the height of the pandemic. In March 2023, as the watch world re-emerged from the unprecedented global shutdown, Cartier hosted me at the biggest Watches and Wonders yet (and my first) at the Palexpo convention centre in Geneva. With a massive booth boasting romantic pastels, soft tones, thick carpets, elegant, considered furniture, and the customary bellboy upfront, the maison spared little in the theatre of presenting a full array of updates on classics such as the Santos Dumont, Tank (a new Normale was very buzzy on the expo floor), a new Cartier Privé CPCP collection, and a glittering moment for high jewellery with Clash [Un]limited.

Some of these upstarts will end up at the Maison des Métiers d’Art, the renovated Bernese-style farmhouse next door to the manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Dating back to 1872, it houses a handful of highly skilled artisans who create limited-edition timepieces and experiment with intricate, innovative techniques.

The sustainability of its process and workforce is as important as moves towards eco design, with the development and use of ethical leather alternatives, recycling, and reduction of emissions throughout the entire process a priority.

Many brands’ stated commitments fail to manifest truthfully as they show up in the world and Cartier’s meticulous focus on multiple touchpoints continues to reinforce its mastery of this shorthand for sophistication. And what of my “Santos Galbée”? They’ll fix it and bring it back to its former glory. That, of course, comes after the resolution of its authenticity. We will answer this question yet.

• From the 2023/2024 edition of Wanted Watches, Jewellery and Luxury.