Cartier in 2018: The Next Generation

For all its status as one of the most recognizable luxury brands, Cartier designs its watches to be practical objects, made to be worn not stored in a bank vault. Part of the company’s strategy is to constantly but subtly update its collections to suit the changing tastes and needs of its clientele. This year at the Salon International De La Haute Horlogere, Cartier focused its attentions on three classic collections — Panthère, Santos and Rotonde — to address the growing number of women buyers, a younger audience in general and functionality in the age of e-commerce.
 

One of Cartier’s most beloved timepieces is the Santos. Created for the playboy aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904, the square shape and eight bezel screws have informed almost every aspect of the Cartier brand identity moving forward.

Over the decades, the Santos has continuously evolved to embrace new technologies, materials and styles. In 2018, Cartier is updating its Santos line with Cartier QuickSwitch, self-fitting system to allow consumers to choose from interchangeable steel, gold, calfskin or alligator skin straps. 

Quick change bracelets were ubiquitous at SIHH, the appeal being able to dress up or dress down your watch without having to visit a boutique to switch out your strap adds value and convenience. Cartier takes this functionality on step further with its SmartLink feature that allows the wearer to adjust the length of a metal bracelet to the nearest link without the use of a tool. These innovations are definitely a nod to the growing e-commerce market who want assurance of fit when they can’t try on a timepiece in person.
 

The 2018 Santos collection is basically built for guys (and girls) on the go. The design of the bezel has been updated to better integrate the lines of the case and the straps to optimize comfort and ergonomics. And the new, automatic in-house caliber 1847 MC features nickel phosphorus components in the escapement and movement mechanisms to shield against exposure to magnets found in everything from laptop cases to speakers (which can mess with your watch’s accuracy).
 

Cartier has always been an outlier when it comes to watchmaking because of its embrace of non-traditional case shapes. Keeping with the themes of comfort and joy, the brand has also introduced an Extra-Flat version of its 38 x 39mm Drive de Cartier. 
 

In the tank division, Cartier is releasing four versions of the Louis Cartier in small and large sizes, with or without diamonds all with a luxurious linked pink gold bracelets. These rectangular legends are also fitted with a brand new, manual-winding caliber 1917 MC caliber.
 

This year, the elegant curved case of the Tank Cintrée has been reborn with a more streamlined silhouette. There are three versions to choose from – yellow gold with a champagne dial, pink gold with a black dial, and platinum with a pale grey dial. Note that the Cintrée is rare for Cartier in that it has Arabic numerals instead of Roman. The retro look of the monochromatic case/dial combination of the yellow gold and platinum are particularly pleasing.

By adapting classics to meet the needs of the modern man and woman rather than reinventing the wheel is a canny strategy for Cartier. By preserving and amplifying the brand’s status symbol connotations, it appeals to the label loving millennials while the quality of craftsmanship is a huge hit for watch snobs.