CARTIER'S CREATIVE CHRONO-TIMERS CRAFTED WITH CUTE, CHARMING CREATURES ARE THE KIND OF WATCHES YOU HAVE BEEN DREAMING OF.
Cartier is my undisputed top favourite jewellery and watch brand. No ifs or buts or maybes. Like anyone with a good brain inside a large skull in a well proportioned head positioned firmly on well balanced shoulders, I have always admired Cartier from the time I was a 15 year old.
To me, Cartier epitomises what bling is all about. Why settle for plain gold when you can imbed it with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and the occasional pearl?
Why make do with a half-baked wanna-be when you already have a fully-baked, established, world famous jeweller and watch manufacturer?
Why worry if the gems are less than top quality or that the design may be passe by the time your cappuccino arrives?
With Cartier you are safe as houses and while you do have to pay a premium (just like for my writing compared to a student's) you get your money's worth. The name 'Cartier' continues to evoke the same magic from the time it was the official court jeweller to 12 crowned heads to this very day. Thailand holds the honour of being the only Asian nation to grant this honour to Cartier. The Maharajahs loved Cartier but India only came into existence in 1947.
King Edward VII as Prince of Wales in 1899 called Cartier 'the King of Jewellers and Jeweller of Kings' which was perfectly correct of course. Three years later in 1902 he was crowned and a record 27 princesses, duchesses, countesses, viscountesses, baronesses and society ladies invited to the coronation commissioned tiaras from Cartier! Then again, King Edward VII had proclaimed Cartier to be the best in the business!
Today, the torrid love affair between Cartier and the cognoscenti remain unabated. And why not, since there are no challenger by a long shot.
In this edition, I am featuring Cartier watches. Not the usual thingies that tell time but bejewelled versions that make time stand still by virtue of the millions of ringgit one must pay, especially for the unique, one-off pieces!
Despite my declarations, proclamations and outright insistence Cartier is my favourite, I do NOT own a single Cartier watch! Yes, the cheapest Cartier watch is under RM 7,000 which even I can afford but I want anyone of the watches featured below. Alas and alack, I am short of half a million ringgit as the cheapest starts from around this sum and goes up to RM 5 million.
The good news? Buddha and Jesus have both assured me on various occasions I will be born super rich in my next incarnation! I should be able to buy all bejewelled Cartier watches by the containerload and even let my servants wear them since I have only two arms and I could enjoy admiring my watches as my slaves, I mean my servants, serve me food and drinks.
Until then, let us all drool over them. Salivating is free...
Let's start with the poor cousins. These are straightforward watches coated with diamonds and are not Limited Edition nor do they take 100 hours to make. One look and you can tell it is a watch, with no tricks up its sleeve.
Loose change for only a few hundred thousand ringgit! Perfect for the peasant who made a killing on Bursa Malaysia!
Delices de Cartier, XL, 18K white gold, 5.23 carats diamonds
This Libre watch is not quartz but has its own Cartier manual winding, manufactured movement under the bi-directional, rotating bezel set with diamonds.
This Cartier Libre Tank looks like a woman's body tied up with a diamond belt or it could be a beribboned present or a surreal hourglass.
Captive de Cartier, pink 18K gold quartz watch set with 4.1 carats diamonds.
Baignoire S watch, 18k gold, manufactured mechanical movement, 4.13 carats diamonds
SIHH 2011, 18k white gold, quartz movement, around 48 carats diamonds.
SIHH 2011, quartz movement, 18k white gold, 22.8 carats diamonds, from Million and One Hours collection.
SIHH 2011, 18k quartz movement, white gold, 23.2 carats diamonds.
Pasha de Cartier with Panther exterior. 18k white gold, 4.1 carats diamonds
NOW WE MOVE ON TO STILL STRAIGHTFORWARD WATCHES THAT DO NOTHING BUT TELL TIME BUT THESE ARE MORE SPECIAL. EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT ADORNED WITH DIAMONDS, THE ENAMELLED, PAINTED, MOSAIC-ED AND INLAID BEZELS CAN COST MORE THAN A DIAMOND ENCRUSTED WATCH! GET RM 1 MILLION MINIMUM READY!
Blue Balloon Turtle. 18k white gold. Mechanical movement, hand engraved turtle with mother of pearl pieces and enamelling. Limited to 40.
Santos Tiger. 18k pink gold. Flying tourbillon. Tiger in wood marquetry. Limited to 30.
Blue Balloon Elephant. 18k white gold, enameled elephant and diamonds. Limited to 60.
Tortue Panda. 18k yellow gold, mechanical movement, enameled panda. Limited to 50.
SIHH 2011, Rotonde Cartier, 18k pink gold, 1.39 carats diamonds, turtle in mosaic-ed stones. Limited to 10.
SIHH 2011, Rotonde de Cartier, 18k white gold, mechanical movement, bear in wood marquetry. Limited to 50.
SIHH 2011, Rotonde de Cartier, 18k white gold, mechanical movement, enameled polar bear. Limited to 40.
SIHH 2011, Blue Balloon Monkey, 18k white gold, mechanical movement, enameled monkey with 0.84 carat of cognac diamonds.Limited to 50.
SIHH 2011 Santos 100 Hummingbird. 18k white gold, mechanical movement, 1.09 carats diamonds, hummingbird in enamel and mother of pearl marquetry. Limited to 50.
MY FAVOURITE! Tortue Jaguar, 18 k yellow gold, mechanical movement, hand engraved in high relief and enameled. Limited to 80 and I still cannot lay my hands on one!
BELOW ARE THE VARIOUS PAINSTAKING STAGES IN MAKING THIS WORK OF ART
Using a brush to fill each cell with enamel
Enameling the jaguar
The final stages of enameling, all done by hand.
FINALLY WE MOVE ON TO THE SUPER HIGH END, SUPERLATIVE AND STRATOSPHERICALLY PRICED WATCHES! LAVISHED WITH DIAMONDS, EACH IS A MOVABLE WORK OF ART THAT TRANSCENDS TIME AND THE VAST SUM OF MONEY YOU HAVE TO FORK OUT TO CLAIM ONE AS YOUR OWN.
EACH DOES DOUBLE DUTY AS A JEWEL IN ITS OWN RIGHT EXCEPT THERE IS A WATCH HIDDEN BENEATH ALL THOSE DIAMONDS, SAPPHIRES, RUBIES AND EMERALDS!
ON YOUR WRIST, IT LOOKS LIKE A MAGNIFICENT HEIRLOOM BUT IT ALSO TELLS TIME!
EACH MOVEMENT IS HIDDEN FROM SIGHT SINCE TO ENGAGE THE SATURATED LAYERS OF GEMS WITH FLAWLESS WORKMANSHIP AND WATCH IS SUPERFLUOUS.
I CALL THEM 'NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON'T'!
Now you see me...... as a watch amid a 62 carat tourmaline, 464 carats of tanzanite beads and 12 carats diamond.
Now you don't!
Not surprising, this is an unique piece and only one in the world!
Now you see me...
Now you don't!
Secret watch with 2-bird motif with watch hidden under 45.52 carat engraved rubellite, 212 carats of Akoya pearls and nearly 10 carats of diamonds. Only 1 in the world.
Now you see me...
Now you don't!
18k white gold, carved blue sapphire of 170 carats, 173 carats of moonstone beads, around 15 carats diamond. Quartz movement. Unique piece.
Now you see me...
Now you don't!
Secret watch under wing of these two lovebirds. 30.3 carats diamonds, quartz movement.
Now you see me...
Now you don't!
Horse watch, 18k white gold, quartz movement, 62 carats emerald beads and 49 carats diamonds.
THE END OF PART 1
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