Maison Cartier was founded in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, after he inherited the jewellery workshop at 29, Rue Montorgueil, in Paris, from his master Adolphe Picard.
The name Cartier did not gain its worldwide recognition until the 20th century when Louis Cartier’s grandsons Pierre and Jacques, and Louis were running the family business.
Relocating the premises to the Rue de la Paix, in 1899 the prestigious hub of cosmopolitan Paris, the new store attracted the rich and famous from around the world.
The three brothers plotted to build an empire …show more content…
Pierre Cartier meanwhile took the family business to New York, where he developed a clientele consisting of new world industrialist and the stars of the silent films.
A few decades later Cartier had become the preferred jeweller of the Hollywood celebrities, extraordinary figures who discovered the spirit of excellence that has always driven house, Cartier.
In fact, you could say that Cartier invented the wristwatch when in 1904 he was asked by Brazilian, playboy and aviator, Alberto Santos Dumont to build him a timepiece he could use while flying.
Louis Cartier obliged creating a wristwatch that he called the “Santos” a watch that is easily recognizable by its exposed screws, and rounded angle of the dial.
One symbol of Cartier that has never aged is the company’s iconic tank watch, a timepiece that is just as much at home in the boutique’s window today as it was back on its introduction in