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CARTIER's ARTISTIC CRAFTS SERIES, four new limited editions
Last year the Artistic Crafts models were received very well.
The watches were all produced in very limited numbers and take in general very long to produce. This year Cartier added 4 new models to their collection and again they're all four produced in really limited editions. The artistic crafts have always been at the heart of the Cartier story, allowing the demands of artisans to dictate the introduction of new skills, materials and techniques in watchmaking. These crafts are at the root of unique pieces fashioned in the hushed, intimate atmosphere of workshops, where talented artists devote themselves entirely to the task of creation and to the culmination of their fastidious efforts. Each of these efforts is marked by the same refinement, the same exploration of forms, volumes and colors, the desire to create inspired watches whose every detail is a badge of true dedication. A privileged dialogue emerges, a continuous exchange between the constraints of watchmaking and traditional and revived techniques. Curiosity asserts itself, driven by a burning devotion to the rare, seminal skills of these crafts. The creative and technical challenge is once more accepted and overcome by expertise and unrelenting passion that, in the midst of this arduous task, reveal the force of its precision and perfection. --- ROTONDE de CARTIER 35mm KOALA MOTIF WATCH --- 
Truly innovative, straw sweeps into the world of watchmaking as a precious material, finding a place on the craftsman’s bench alongside gold and diamonds. High-calibre straw is selected for its sturdiness and sheen. The straw is split blade by blade and hammered flat with a burnishing bone, then cut with a fret saw and assembled into a meticulous design. These are the first steps in the painstaking creative task that will yield the Rotonde de Cartier watch with koala motif and straw marquetry. Blades of straw in different sizes and shades are juxtaposed as tightly together as possible to produce effects of volume and depth. It takes almost 40 hours to complete one dial. From blonde to brown, the seven different tones of the straw offer a natural golden lustre to demarcate and illuminate the koala motif. This glossy sheen is an inherent quality of the straw: once dyed and assembled on the dial, it is left in its natural state, without varnish or protection of any kind. The ancient technique of straw marquetry inspired a number of works of art prior to its present-day resurrection by Cartier in the form of this precious creation. In placing the spotlight on an unconventional material in the world of watchmaking, Cartier extracts from it a delicate quality, a singular poetry. This latest addition to the Cartier ark is the pride of the artisan watchmaker, whose masterful skill convincingly creates the look of fur, alert eyes, and a lifelike koala. Limited-edition series of 20 timepieces. Case: 18-carat rhodium-plated white gold set with 43 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.6 carats) Dial: 18-carat yellow gold with koala motif in straw marquetry Crown: beaded, 18-carat rhodium-plated white gold, set with a diamond Strap: semi-matt black alligator skin Clasp: double adjustable folding clasp in 18-carat rhodium-plated white gold Water-resistance: 30 metres / 100 ft / 3 bars Movement: Manufacture mechanical movement, manual-winding, calibre 9601 MC Limited-edition series of 20 individually numbered timepieces. The straw offers seven tones of brown from light to dark. Used together together with gold and diamonds, it becomes a precious material. The high-quality straw is selected for its strength and its lustre; each blade is carefully split, then flattened. Each element of the marquetry, from the largest to the smallest, is cut out from a block of several layers of straw blades. The blade follows every tiny detail of the drawing. Like a jigsaw, the pieces fit together with great precision to complete the design. When all the pieces have been assembled, the straw marquetry is fitted into the case. --- SANTOS-DUMONT XL, WHITE GOLD, HORSE MOTIF WATCH --- 
Gemstone mosaic may just be the latest weapon in Cartier’s creative arsenal. The master watchmaker achieves better than anyone the evocative power, expressiveness and sheer delicacy of the technique. Earth jasper, Kalahari jasper, grey Madagascar jasper, chocolate obsidian, pink opal: the artisan’s palette comprises an enchanting inventory. This year, two mosaic techniques complement one another in a harmonious blend to achieve a most striking effect, in a play of echo and balance. Tiny miniature squares affixed to the base of the dial are contrasted by the swarm of irregular-shaped tesserae that makes up the horse motif. The interplay of more than 400 miniscule tesserae delivers depth, relief and an impression of light. Cacholong, cut into irregular-shaped pieces, outlines in relief the head and neck of the thoroughbred. The proud, lively creature appears ready to spring into action. The design is edged in metal piping. The detail of the neck, mane and nose is underlined in hand-engraved gold, and the harness and tassel are painted in red. Each piece demands no less than 120 hours of work: 50 hours to render the horse and 70 hours to complete the background. This appealing, distinctively styled watch is issued in a limited-edition series of 40 timepieces without stones and just ten timepieces set with baguette-cut diamonds. Santos-Dumont XL watch, horse motif, gemstone mosaic Case: 18-carat white gold Dial: 18-carat white gold with hand-engraved high-relief horse motif, gemstone mosaic and paintwork Crown: facetted, 18-carat white gold adorned with a facetted sapphire Strap: semi-matte brown alligator skin Clasp: double adjustable folding clasp in 18-carat white gold Water-resistance: 30 metres / 100 ft / 3 bars Movement: Manufacture mechanical movement, manual-winding, calibre 430 MC Limited-edition series of 40 individually numbered timepieces. The design is engraved into the gold plate and tiny pieces of cacholong are fitted into the cavities. Earth jasper, Kalahari jasper, grey Madagascar jasper, chocolate obsidian and pink opal are all part of the craftsman’s rich inventory. The interplay of more than 400 minuscule tiles will create depth, relief and the impression of light. The detailed composition, and the many subtle colours of the tiles require meticulous work from the craftsman to create a harmony of tones. One by one, more than 400 tiles are placed onto the engraved plate using a very fine pair of tweezers. Already the animal seems proud and alert, ready to spring into action. The design is surrounded by a metal border: the details of the neck, the mane and the nostrils are highlighted with fine gold lines engraved by hand. --- ROTONDE de CARTIER 42 mm, WHITE GOLD, TIGER MOTIF WATCH --- 
Grisaille enamel is an ancient enamelling technique that owes its name to the shades of grey (from the French grisaille) it employs from black to white, rendering the design as faithfully as possible with an engraver’s precision. Here, as if on canvas, black enhances white and supplies its backdrop. The craftsman swathes the dial in a gleaming coat of black enamel which is then hardened in a kiln. Step by step, the design is painted on with a brush in blanc de Limoges, changing with each of six to eight additional firings in the kiln. The piece requires almost 40 hours of enamelling work. The craftsman as painter can work with nuances of white to highlight shade, contrast, plays of light and the relief of the design. A special tool is used to scratch the white and heighten the illusion of fur on the animal. The design gradually emerges, the labours of a miniaturist paying tribute to one of the emblematic figures of Cartier jewellery, the big cat. The hypnotic tiger occupies with magnetic intensity the dial of this Rotonde de Cartier watch, which is issued in a limited-edition series of 100 timepieces. Rotonde de Cartier 42 mm watch, tiger motif, enamel grisaille Case: 18-carat white gold Dial: 18-carat white gold with tiger motif in grisaille enamel Crown: beaded, 18-carat white gold adorned with a cabochon sapphire Strap: semi-matte black alligator skin Clasp: double adjustable folding clasp in 18-carat white gold Water-resistance: 30 metres / 100 ft / 3 bars Movement: Manufacture mechanical movement, manual-winding, calibre 9601 MC Limited-edition series of 100 individually numbered timepieces. The blanc de Limoges is fired six to eight times to achieve its final colour. The craftsman, uses his skills as a painter to highlight the whites and accentuate the shadows, the contrasts, the play of light and the relief of the design. Scratching the blanc de Limoges with a special tool enhances the illusion of the animal’s fur. Gradually the design emerges in a meticulous piece of miniature painting, creating one of the big cats that is emblematic of Cartier jewellery, the hypnotic tiger. --- LARGE MODEL TORTUE COCKATOO MOTIF WATCH --- 
Cartier found inspiration for this watch in the shimmer and iridescent translucence of mother-of-pearl. The dial is layered with slivers of mother-of-pearl that evoke the soft feel of plumage. The engraving process is delicate and challenging. Mother-of-pearl of appropriate translucence and tone is selected and cut into slivers. A high-precision burin is used to engrave these slivers of mother-of-pearl with a feather motif. The craftsman can thus produce subtle shading, fading from pastel pink to cloudy white, and achieve an illusion of dimension and depth. Cartier contrasts this soft palette with bold colours: yellow for the comb and black for the eye and beak, all of which are fashioned in champlevé enamel. This fusion of controlled color and naturalist design requires almost 50 hours of work. The realistic yet fantastical cockatoo seems to rise out of the frame with the urge to flap its wings, illuminated by the two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds that surround the dial. This watch is issued in a limited-edition series of 80 timepieces. Large model Tortue watch, cockatoo motif, hand-engraved mother-of-pearl, champlevé enamel Case: 18-carat rhodium-plated white gold set with 133 brilliant-cut diamonds (2.1 carats) Dial: 18-carat white gold with cockatoo motif in hand-engraved mother-of-pearl. Beak, eye and crest in champlevé enamel. Crown: facetted, 18-carat rhodium-plated white gold adorned with a diamond Strap: iridescent pink alligator skin Clasp: double adjustable folding clasp in 18-carat rhodium-plated white gold Water-resistance: 30 metres/ 100 ft / 3 bars Movement: Manufacture mechanical movement, manual-winding, calibre 430 MC Limited-edition series of 80 individually numbered timepieces It goes without saying that it will not be só easy to see one of these exceptional pieces in the Boutique. With production numbers of 20, 40, 80 and 100 pieces only, depending on the model, it's best to contact the Boutique to guarantee a view. (All photos: Studio Dieleman © Cartier 2011) GEO CARTIER forum moderator ----------------------------------------------------- [www.troisanneaux.com]
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