As in previous years, Cartier has put together a Lepoard-themed ad campaign for the winter, which they call Panthere due to the weird differences between French and English. As before there's a over-the-top-cute video, now with two cubs.
Sadly the website for the Winter's Tale promotion has nothing new at all
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More pre-SIHH watches from Cartier with silly long names(see the Rotonde Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon), this time the "Grand Complication Skeleton Pocket Watch", which is exactly what it sounds like. Despite the press release referring to the movement as a "manual-wind Cartier in-house caliber 9436 MC with 37 jewels, 21,600 vph and a power reserve of 8 days", it is the same Renaud et Papi caliber they use for some grand-complication each year, this time as a pocketwatch. The real artistry from Cartier is in the white gold case, which has the skeletonized roman numerals attaching the movement to the edge, even hiding the correctors for the QP. The numerals are in the clear Cartier serif font, and really well finished (see live pics from SJX over at thePurists). The sides of the case are a nicely executed chevron pattern and the crown/pusher for the chrono is the current Cartier standard, with beads and a blue sapphire cabochon on top.
| Dial side of the watch | Pocketwatch with the included 18kt white-gold chain |
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At 59mm in diameter and a full 1/4 lb, it's not going to be an easy piece to carry, so Cartier includes a desk stand of rock crystal on an onyx base. The design is somewhat of an homage to their Mystery Clocks(see previous post) from the beginning of the 20th century.
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(Yes ALL of that is the model name)
The new model-year for watches technically starts with SIHH in late January, but like the Republican primaries, the brands have been pushing their announcements earlier each year to try and generate "buzz". One of Cartier's contributions this year is a grand complication for their Rotonde collection, a minute-repeater with flying Tourbillon. Housed in a 45mm case in either 18kt rose gold or Titanium (probably sounds better and the weight will be more manageable at that size) this is a Cartier in-house developed movement, not one based on the Roger Dubuis calibers acquired with the brand...they've been VERY explicit about that and it bears none of the signature hallmarks of RD design so I believe them. From the front of the case you can see the flying tourbillon and the repeater hammers, regulator and gongs - which encircle the dial.
With the dial removed, you can see not that much more, just the keyless works. The entire repeater mechanism is on the back-side of the case.
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From recordings of the repeater, it is very clear and a nice sound, but the notes are much closer together then in the classical repeater, perhaps related to the unusual regulator on the front.
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Sometimes a clever design doesn't need to have anything new or complex, just the proper use of a technique. In this case, Cartier seems to have achieved that by reversing the usual layout of an automatic movement and putting the oscillating weight on the front, decorated with a panther (of course). That allows the cat to run around the dial at will, depending on the motion of the wearer. It's a pitty they went a bit overboard with diamonds on the case, but that does seem to be their MO these days.
Specs are: 42mm diameter 18k white gold case set with 6.8ct of diamonds. The dial is deep-purple mother-of-pearl and the rotor-cat is set with diamonds and black lacquer spots. Movement is the in-house MC 9603, a 16 ligne automatic with 31 jewels and a 48 hour power reserve.
First two pictures are the dial and case of the watch. The right-hand picture shows the thickness of the case needed for the dial-side rotor.
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A series of pictures showing the cat in motion
(photos Laziz Hamani © Cartier 2011, source )
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Starting on December 13th, Christies will be auctioning off Elizabeth Taylor's collection of jewelry with proceeds to benefit her AIDS charity ETAF. The preview show has started and is making its way around the world before coming to rest for the sale in New York which means that photos of the pieces have started trickling out. I'll start with just the previewed necklaces.
First a pair of shots of an emerald and diamond necklace by Bulgari originally given to Taylor by Richard Burton
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| REUTERS/Fred Prouser | AP Photo/Richard Drew |
More Necklaces
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| Sapphire and diamond necklace by Mouaward with matching earrings AP Photo/Misha Japaridze | A gold and ivory necklace which was a gift from the estate of Edith Head. The Ivory disks are 19th and 18th century opera passes. AP Photo/Richard Drew |
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| One of a suite of Kunzite, amethyst and diamond "Triphanes" jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels. It is estimated at $70,000 - $100,000. AP Photo/Richard Drew | "The Taj Mahal Diamond," (c. 1627), on a gold and ruby chain by Cartier, was a gift from Richard Burton for her 40th birthday in 1972. The central diamond is engraved with the words "Love is Everlasting" in Parsee. It is estimated at $300,000 - $500,000. AP Photo/Richard Drew |
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| A ruby, diamond and pearl necklace by Cartier with the La Peregrina 60-carat natural pearl pendant The necklace is expected to bring $3 million at auction. REUTERS/Fred Prouser | The so-called "Grandmother's Necklace", with matching earrings, by Van Cleef and Arpels in front of a Warhol "Liz Taylor" screen-print (not owned by Ms Taylor). The necklace and earring set were a present from Richard Burton to commemorate the birth of Taylor's first grandchild. AP Photo/Misha Japaridze |
(source note that that page is a nightmare of ads and javascript pain, and the second image in the slideshow is Hank Williams Jr.)
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Cartier(mentioned before) threw a massive bash in the Villa Aurelia, a 17th century Roman palazzo built by Cardinal Girolamo Farnese, to release their new members in their Sortilège (enchantment) collection.
Some of the familiar Cartier faces were there, including actresses Monica Bellucci and Fan Bing Bing, along with the Italian actress Isabella Ferrari and Polish actress/model Kasia Smutniak. The piece Ms Ferrari is wearing is one of the older pieces in the collection, it was on display in their boutique in 2008.
| Monica Bellucci | Fan Bing Bing |
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| Isabella Ferrari | Kasia Smutniak |
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There are an ocean of more pictures of the reception
Some more of the new pieces
| Sapphire and diamond earrings set in platinum | Platinum ring set with diamonds and coral beads. (The PR didn't mention the material of the black accents, possibly black onyx) |
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| Aquamarine bracelet, with a large pear shaped stone and beads in shades of blue. The main element is platinum with moonstone and diamonds accents and a single Tahatian pearl | Pearl bracelet with a platinum accent, set with a large polished Rubelite, diamonds and black onyx |
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| Platinum ring with a faceted ruby set in the middle of a piece of rock crystal. It's an intriguing effect. | White gold ring with pink and purple sapphires and diamonds. The polished, not faceted, sapphires allow the sparkle of the underlying diamonds to be seen, an unusual effect |
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At SIHH 2011 Cartier(previously mentioned) released a version of their Rotonde de Cartier with a Plique-à-jour enamel dial of a polar bear. Plique-à-jour enamel filled in the spaces between thin wires, like cloisonne, but without a backing plate - the enamel is translucent like a miniature stained-glass window. Like many other styles of enamel, it was quite popular during the Art Deco period, and has since fallen from fashion.
(Photo from Kee Hua Chee but his assertion of copyright is absolute crap)
For those interested, they've now put out a brief interview with Ines Hamaguchi on the making of that enamel dial
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Last year, about this time, Cartier put together an ad campaign based on a Panther kitten.; They have revived the campaign as The Winter Tale, with a bit more of a seasonal (read Christmas) slant, but no less cute overload
This seems to be the title-page for the campaign, since there are no actual products depicted
Some ladies wallets and a Baignoire watch, a design from the early 20th century
A mans Ballon Bleu watch, pen, cufflinks and some leatherwork
all pictured from Cartier's site
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Every other year the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, the french association of antique dealers sponsors a grand antique show in the Grand Palais in Paris, the Biennale des Antiquaires. This has become a place for 7 of the top french jewelry houses to show off their collections, both new and old, alongside 80 antique dealers.
From the antique side of the house:
| Faerber has a skull, carved of coral and set with diamond eyes, from approx 1700 | And a Paulding Farnham Orchid broach, retailed by Tiffany, from approx 1890, enamel over gold set with a single diamond. |
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On the more modern side:
| Dior Joaillerie has a necklace decorated with roses in diamonds, emeralds and rubies | Louis Vuitton has a ring (they say it's a ring, I think it's mislabeled) with pale pink and blue sapphires and diamonds, including one in their custom quadrafoil shape |
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A pair from Cartier
| A ring, diamond set with a unusual carved sapphire of 60ct as the central stone | a necklace, platinum set with cultured pearls, white and brown diamonds and a panther head carved from petrified wood. The grain of the wood does an excellent job giving depth to the low-relief head. |
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