Cartier
Cartier Crash ‘First Light’
Says Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier’s brilliant CEO and the maison’s greatest leader since the legendary Alain Dominique Perrin: “The only certainty for the future is uncertainty. What we will see with increasing frequency are the type of black swan events that can cause global change. As an industry, we need to safeguard against this. The best way to do this is to ensure the singularity and durability of your brand.” What Vigneron means is that, in times of crisis, the consumer will spend on objects that are safe havens, that are utterly unique, iconic and that have stood the test of time. This is precisely how Vigneron has positioned Cartier’s watch business, which is on the cusp of becoming the third largest watch brand in the world. By reconnecting it with Cartier’s unique history in design and elegance, he has made his maison one of the most singular and durable brands on the planet.
But in the pantheon of Cartier’s incredibly shaped watches, there is one model that has attained near mythical status. Its mere appearance is able to stop even the most jaded watch collector in his or her tracks and send their heart into palpitations. In many ways, it contrasts dramatically with the maison’s most recognizable designs. Unlike the Tank or the Baignoire which are harmonious in form, it is utterly asymmetrical. Amusingly, even the famous Tank Asymétrique is, in the end, a very symmetrical watch as it is a parallelogram in shape. This timepiece in question is most assuredly not. Also, while many of Cartier’s most famous creations were born in the early 20th century, this timepiece was created a full 50 years later. Finally, while the majority of Cartier’s legendary icons sprung from the extraordinarily imaginative mind of Louis Cartier — eldest son of Alfred and grandson to the maison’s founder Louis-François Cartier — this watch was created by his nephew Jean-Jacques.
Cartier London — The Backstory
In order to understand the Crash, you have to understand a little bit about the Cartier family history. The fabled maison was created in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, after he took over the workshop from his mentor, Adolphe Picard. Louis-François handed the business to his son, Alfred in 1874. Alfred, in turn, had three sons, and by 1899, eldest son Louis was involved in the business and they moved to 13 rue de la Paix, the flagship store in Paris’ exclusive shopping district that still stands today. The Cartiers had, by that point, already experienced incredible success in France, having received patronage from the French aristocracy for decades. In an inspired move to internationalize the brand and one that was reminiscent of a Grimm Brothers fable, Alfred sent his two younger sons to create new Cartier “temples” in foreign cities. Middle child Pierre went to New York. There, he established Cartier USA at 712 Fifth Avenue in 1909 and then shifted into the famous Cartier mansion at 653 Fifth Avenue in 1917. He famously bought this stunning edifice from its owner, railway tycoon Morton F. Plant, for a $100 in cash and a double string of pearls, valued at a million dollars at the time, that Plant’s wife Maisie fancied. His brother Jacques ventured to London, setting up his “temple” in 1902, the same year of King Edward VII’s coronation. He later moved in 1909, to 175-177 Bond Street where the current Cartier London flagship still stands. Louis, Alfred’s eldest son stayed in Paris at the Rue de la Paix flagship established by his father and, in 1904, created the world’s first wristwatch for his friend, the Franco-Brazilian aviator dandy Alberto Santos-Dumont, whose passion was to fly his dirigibles over the rooftops of Paris.
The Creativity of Jean-Jacques Cartier
Says Shary Rahman, who was so enamored with the designs created by Jean-Jacques Cartier as to have his special order Tank Cintrée feature a London-style dial in black with white indexes, “You can really feel that Cartier is responding to the rise of Pop Art and other cultural changes. If you think about it, in 1967, Andy Warhol was creating his silk screens of Marilyn Monroe, a Pop version of an iconic star. To me, Jean-Jacques was similar in creating a Pop version of his uncle Louis’ dials. The Cartier London dials, even by today’s standards, feel so wonderfully modern. That is the magic of their design.”
The second theory is that the Crash was inspired by the Salvador Dali surrealist masterpiece from 1931, The Persistence of Memory. In this tableau, we see a Freudian dreamscape with clocks seeming to melt and drape over themselves into contorted shapes. Looking at the clock that appears on the far left, one cannot help but appreciate how closely it resembles the shape of the Crash watch. Indeed, if you were simply to flip the clock 180 degrees from left to right, it would be almost identical in shape to the Crash.
Cartier Crash, 1967–Present Day
Original London Crashes from the initial series were made in relatively small numbers from 1967 to the 1970s. According to Sotheby’s, it is speculated that less than a dozen were made. Note that these Crashes are the largest classical Crashes made in that they are 43mm by 23mm. The watch was revived in 1991 by Cartier Paris in a limited edition of 400 watches in 38.5mm by 22.5mm yellow gold cases with the word “Paris” on the dial instead of London. It was extrapolated as a women’s diamond watch on a bracelet in 2013. Then, in 2015, it returned in grand form with a stunning skeletonized version. Here, the bridges of the movement designed by Carole Forestier replicated the form of the stylized Roman numerals. It was launched in a platinum edition of 67 pieces with a case size of 45.32mm by 28.15mm in 2015; then 67 rose gold pieces in the same size in 2016.
The Cartier NSO Program
OK, so now that we’ve defined the Crash as one of the most desirable watches on the planet, how does someone go about acquiring one? At the moment, there are three pathways. Ah… alas, much like the grasshopper trying to attain spiritual nirvana, though there are multiple roads to the destination, none are easy.
The first is the secondary market or auction scene, but as explained, that comes today with a hefty premium. The second is to be placed on the waiting list of the Cartier London boutique; however, from what I understand, the list is now so long that even getting on it is not easy. The third way is to be given the opportunity for an NSO or “New Special Order,” where truly fortunate clients are able to create watches based on Cartier’s existing shapes. There are, of course, certain restrictions; for example, if you err too much beyond the realm of what is Cartier, it will be politely suggested that you rein yourself in. The individual with final approval for all NSO projects is the legendary Pierre Rainero, head of Cartier’s patrimony and a living repository of all things Cartier.
In 2018, I was given the opportunity to create my first NSO watch. I had attended SIHH that year where they launched the platinum Tank Cintrée. Because they were unable to allocated me the number of the watch I had initially requested, I was asked if creating a special order watch based on the Cintrée would be something I would consider. More than “consider” it, I was blown away by the kindness of the offer. On a trip to Burgundy in France, that one NSO project actually became two watches, one for myself and one for my friend Mo Coppoletta. When I showed Mo the beautiful renderings Cartier had made for the watch, he was so smitten with one of them that I requested it for him on his behalf and, miraculously, it came to be. We both absolutely loved our watches and you can listen to the story about those timepieces here.
Follow that Light
As I began to think of my next Cartier, the dream that quickly materialized was for a Crash. But what is important to know is that while it is rare to be permitted entry into the NSO program, it is even rarer to be allocated a Crash. Nonetheless, I politely requested one, and when I was given the answer that I could proceed, I almost couldn’t believe it. Now came the question of what to create together with Cartier’s design team and the spectacular Hazel See, Cartier’s watch manager in Singapore. Having gone through the NSO process once before, I felt emboldened to suggest something wildly ambitious but at the same time rooted in substance. If you look at the various limited editions I’ve created, you can see that I have strong affection for luminous watches. To me, the light signature created by a watch at night is as strong an identifier of its personality as its appearance in the daytime. Having looked through the history of the Crash, I realized that there had never been a luminous version of the watch made. But I thought such a timepiece would be fascinating. Because of the unique shape of the Crash, how it sits slightly canted clockwise and because of the kink in the case that appears at four and five o’clock, I thought that a luminous version would be instantly identifiable in the dark. Of course, I realized that the likelihood of this being approved was slim. But as the Latin saying goes, “Audentes Fortuna Juvat,” or fortune favours the bold. When I broached this with Hazel, she agreed that it was a long shot, but she also saw nothing wrong in submitting the request. Then came the nail-biting months of wondering what Rainero would think. I consulted with Ku who told me, “Cartier seems pretty hesitant to go down the luminous route.” Soon, I received my reply and, to my very genuine amazement, it had been approved. Incredible. I remember shouting, “God bless you, Pierre Rainero!” when I heard the news.
Special thanks to Cartier’s regional CEO Cecile Naour, and Anne Yitzhakov, Imane Laasri, Hazel See, Gregory Hallak, Richard Gan and Clayton Lau of Cartier Singapore.