About Cartier

The history of Cartier watches is a rich and noble one. Louis-Francois Cartier, the creator of the brand, was known to make the more masterful jewelry, fit for royalty. The line of Cartier watches reflects and continues to retain this very legacy of refinement and finesse to this day.

The first watch ever created by Cartier came into existence in 1904, when the Brazilian Aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont asked the jeweler to make him a watch that would be more adequate to use during his flights. This timepiece became known as the "Santos" wristwatch, named after the pilot himself. The Santos, however, did not go on the market until 1911. Two years after the creation of the first men's wristwatch, in 1906, the world saw the creation of jeweled watches by Cartier.

Another one of Cartier's landmark timepieces is the "Tank". It was created in 1917, in honor of the Allied Tank commanders who fought for France in World War I. In 1907 Francois signed a contract with Edmond Jaeger, who agreed to supply the movements for Cartier watches. They later formed a joint company, which is now known as Jaeger-Le Coultre. Cartier also designed and patented what is now known as the "deployant folding clasp" in 1910. By 1933, Francois had designed a watch that was truly water resistant, as was the request of the Pasha of Marrakech.

Today, the company's watch designers draw on the astounding design archives left by Louis Cartier, the design genius responsible for many of the house's signature innovations, patents and collections. Most of the contemporary Cartier collections are based upon Louis distinctive design classics such as the Santos, the Panther, the Bagnoire, the Pasha, the Tonneau, the Diabolo, and the Tank. Introduced in 1996, the Tank Francaise is widely regarded as a contemporary model of horology and design mastery. Available in three sizes and offered with a variety of movements from quartz to automatic, the Tank Franaise chronograph features a perpetual calendar and automatic time zone changing capability. As it would seem, Cartier has a history full of quality, splendor, and innovation that expands throughout time and generations.