Exactly a year ago, Bernard Fornas, was appointed CEO of Cartier and at a meeting at the 2003 SIHH he countered remarks that the company was having problems by stating that Cartier could be compared to an animal with ten arms and six legs.
“Cartier’s ten arms are Haute Joaillerie, jewellery, watches, spectacles, lighters, pens, perfumes, small leather goods, bags and gift items. Our six legs are Europe, the Middle East, Japan, the Far East, North America and South America.
“There is always one or more of our products excelling in one or more areas. That is our forte and no other brand has anything close to that coverage. The last year was a period of transition for us in the watch sector and we are now ready to exploit our DNA again. We have an extraordinary mixture of creation and tradition at Cartier and every time we look at our archives our aim is to take out that DNA and try to express it in a manner befitting the 21st century. But we don’t copy the archives, we simply use them as inspiration.”
“Cartier is the indisputable reference of luxury. It has a magic, a savoir-faire, our creativity is exceptional. We have people who have been with us for over forty years and they have learnt from others who have, in their turn, been with us for forty years. That’s why we have to keep the DNA of the brand and maintain it for the future. We have to make Cartier desirable by highlighting its romance and emotion. There is a love for the brand and that love has a tremendous history.”
Cartier is clearly returning to its horological roots by re-capturing the glory of the Tank and leading from the front with its new Cartier Libre collection. This year could well be the watch arm’s year.
A final thought en passant, I wonder how long it will be before the dynamic CEO organizes the Return of the Must!

Photo: CARTIER LIBRE JEWELLERY WATCH
18 carat white gold case equipped with a quartz movement. Silvered ‘sun’ decoration on dial, 12 Roman numerals, bracelet in brushed toile with a diamond-set deployant buckle.

LOUIS CARTIER SKELETON TANK
Platinum case equipped with a skeleton hand wound Calibre 9710 MC movement from the ‘manufacture’ comprising 153 pieces. Sapphire crystals front and back, blued steel hands, 21,600 vibrations per hour, 40-hour power reserve, black alligator bracelet with an 18 carat white gold deployant buckle, water-resistant to 30 metres. Limited Edition of 50 pieces in the Collection Privée de Cartier Paris.