Cartier Exhibition at Weir & Sons 2018

Watch aficionados and those who simply love beautiful things should not miss the Cartier exhibition in store on Grafton Street throughout December. Watches premiered at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie event in Geneva earlier this year will be showcased in a purpose-built exhibition space. Highlights include the all-new Cartier Santos, the 2018 interpretation of the original Santos de Cartier watch, the world’s first modern wristwatch.  In addition, stunning new timepieces from the Tank Collection, first designed in 1917 by Louis Cartier himself, and inspired by the aerial view of a WWI tank.

Visitors to the exhibition will also enjoy an exclusive opportunity to view two very special pieces, the 18K pink gold Clé de Cartier Mysterious Hours watch and the Tank Cintrée in Platinum. Both are available to view in Ireland exclusively with us.

The brand was started by Louis-François in 1847; In 1898 Louis Cartier followed in his father and great grandfather’s footsteps and joined the family business. He had a keen sense of observation and curiosity which led him to designing the first watch made specifically to be worn on the wrist for his friend in 1904, Alberto Santos-Dumont, who the watch is named after.  Louis saw that the future was leading towards the wristwatch, leading him to design watches that are still loved by many today.

Cartier is a brand which is associated with its Roman numerals on its dials, blue watch hands and exquisite beauty. From its Santos collection to its Baignoire Collection, there is a common undercurrent of beautiful quality and wonderment throughout their watch collections. They are a beauty that needs to be seen to be believed. Some of the following pieces below will be in our Grafton Street exhibition room for the month of December in order for you to enjoy the experience.

[caption id="attachment_1655" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The Santos de Cartier[/caption]

 The Cartier Santos is one of the brand’s most iconic watches, created in 1904, the Santos is still one of their most beloved models. After having been discontinued for two years, it has just made its reappearance with larger sizes available this year. The modern-day Santos watch still shares many similarities with the original watch made for Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904, which was specifically requested so that he could tell the passing of time when piloting his aircraft as a pocket watch wasn’t suitable. The eight screws on the glass bezel were inspired by the legs of the Eiffel tower, where as the layout of the roman numerals were designed in a similar manner to the road structuring around the Arc de Triumph . It is the only piece by House of Cartier to have someone else’s name attached to it. Tom Cruise has been known to be a fan of and have a large Santos 100.

[caption id="attachment_1645" align="aligncenter" width="245"] Clé de Cartier Mysterious Hour Watch[/caption]

The Clé de Cartier Mysterious Hours watch is designed with the Cartier Model A mystery clock in mind, made originally in 1911. With an almost completely transparent dial, the secret behind this special piece is that the hands are connected to two clear sapphire discs which rotate the hands when they move, giving the appearance of floating hands. The crown on the side is also a distinguishing feature of this watch as it is shaped like a classic key which differs it from other watches in the Cartier family. A very unique and hard to find piece.

[caption id="attachment_1646" align="aligncenter" width="272"] The Model A Mystery Clock[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1647" align="aligncenter" width="151"] The Tank Cintrée[/caption]

This special edition was introduced to the world in 2017 as a centenary edition to celebrate the tank watch which was first created in 1917. The original tank watch is believed to have been designed by Louis Cartier, who was inspired by a Renault FT-17 light tank.  There are quite a few variations of the tank watch such as the Tank Anglaise and the Tank Française, the various variations have been known to have been worn by the likes of Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama.

[caption id="attachment_1652" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Tank Anglaise[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1653" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Tank Française[/caption]

This skeletonised version is beautiful to behold, and shows the specialty inner workings of this watch. The movement used in this watch is designed and made in-house by Cartier, it is a manually wound movement. The Cintrée tank is known for its comfortable curve on the wrist. The Cintrée has only been produced in limited editions and therefore has remained as one of the most collectible watches around.

Be Sure to come and see these beautiful watches while you can; Only available for viewing in store for the month of December.

Discover our Cartier Watch Collection