#The timeless watchmaker, from A to Z

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Américaine:
Cartier’s most
iconic watch, the
Tank, was created
in 1917; its linear
design pays
homage to WWI
military tanks. The
Américaine model
is elongated
and curved, so
it wraps around
the wearer’s
wrist. Reissued in
steel, it remains
timeless. Tank Américaine in steel, $6,000

Cartier

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Blue: An
elegant sapphire
cabochon on
the crown is
one of the
house’s design
signatures

Cartier

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La Chaux-de-Fonds: Cartier’s
gleaming manufacture is in
Switzerland’s famed “Watch
Valley” city, a UNESCO
World Heritage site.

Cartier

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Duchess of
Cambridge:
Kate Middleton
is never late,
thanks to her
trusty Ballon
Bleu de Cartier
watch. She
pairs it with
everything
from jeans to
cocktail dresses.

Bruce Adams-Pool/Getty Images

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Extraordinary: Beneath
the mesmerizing rutilatedquartz cabochon on Cartier’s
Magnitude High Jewelry “Soreli”
watch sits a secret dial. Six
kite-shaped diamonds (totaling
1.68 carats) and 185 brilliantcut sparklers (weighing 6.62
carats) add to the dazzle of the
masterwork’s 83.35-carat dome. Magnitude High Jewelry “Soreli” Secret Watch in 18-k white gold with quartz movement, price upon request

Cartier

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Feline: Majestic panthers have
inspired Cartier pieces since
1914, prowling on everything
from diamond-encrusted Les
Heures Panthère watches to fine
jewelry, bags and scarves.

Cartier

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Guilloché:
Cartier dials
often feature a
mechanically
engraved,
circular wavelike pattern
called guilloché.
The decorative
technique dates
back to the
18th century in
watchmaking.
Ballon Bleu de Cartier in 18-k rose gold, $15,800

Cartier

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Hands: Cartier hands are typically shaped like a glaive — or sword — and often point to a Roman numeral display. Baignoire in 18-k rose gold, $24,900

Cartier

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Innovation:
Where’s the dial
on Cartier’s Pasha
de Cartier Skeleton? It’s integrated
into the 278-part
movement
(including 19
rubies) with skeletonized bridges.

Cartier

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Jeweler: King Edward VII of the UK called Cartier “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers.

The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images

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Kennedy: Former first lady Jackie Kennedy’s gold Cartier Tank (engraved Feb.
23, 1963) was purchased at auction in 2017 by Kim Kardashian for $379,500

Alamy

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Links: Sinuous
rectangular chain
links aligned on
the bias make the
limited-edition
Maillon de
Cartier anything
but square. Maillon de Cartier in 18-k rose gold with diamonds, $31,100

Cartier

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Meghan Markle: After
the second season of
“Suits,” the actress
treated herself to a
Cartier Tank Française
in gold and stainless
steel. She engraved it:
“To M.M. From M.M.”

George Pimentel/WireImage

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Number: The back
of every watch case
is engraved with a
unique serial number.

Cartier

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Obama: Former first lady
Michelle Obama
honored Cartier
by sporting a steel
Tank Française in
her first official
portrait.

Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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Princess Diana: The royal
alternated two yellowgold Cartier
watches: a Tank Louis
Cartier and a Tank Française that was gifted by her father.

AP Photo/POOL

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QuickSwitch:
Swapping
Santos and
Pasha de Cartier
straps and
bracelets is a
snap with this
clever system. Santos de Cartier in steel with interchangeable straps, $7,100

Cartier

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Screws: Exposed
hardware punctuating the
bezel is a Santos design
signature introduced
more than a century ago. Santos-Dumont Limited Edition in 18-k yellow gold, $14,300

Cartier

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Two-Timing:
Actor Chris Pratt
likes the Calibre
so much that he
doubled down on
“Jimmy Kimmel
Live!” last year,
rocking both
the Diver and a
Chronograph.

Randy Holmes/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

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Unisex: With its graphic
square-inside-a-circle design,
the Pasha de Cartier can be
worn by everyone. For the
recent update, the chained
crown is topped with a blue
spinel or sapphire, straps
are now interchangeable,
and initials can be engraved
inside the crown cover. Pasha de Cartier in steel with interchangeable straps, $6,150

Cartier

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Virtue: As a founding member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, an industry think tank, Cartier promotes expertise, advancement and training in fine watchmaking around the world.

Shutterstock

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Warhol: Cartier aficionado Andy Warhol once uttered the immortal words, “I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear!”

Michael Childers/Corbis via Getty Images

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XL: An oversize
take on the house’s
1904 aviator
watch, the new
Santos-Dumont
XL occupies a
confident 46.6
by 33.9 mm of
wrist-estate. Santos-Dumont Limited Edition “La Demoiselle,” extra-large model in platinum with interchangeable straps, $43,600

Cartier

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Years: The 173-year-old company was
founded in Paris by Louis-François Cartier,
who took over the Paris workshop of
jeweler Adolphe Picard. It was Cartier’s
enterprising grandsons Louis, Pierre and
Jacques who opened stores overseas and
turned the brand into a global phenomenon

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