A delicate balancing act
The maison is 'known by many, owned by few and dreamt about by all', particularly across Asia, writesPin Lee
Cartier recognised the vast potential in Asia decades ago. The maison's presence is virtually a timeline of the region's economic development, opening an outlet in Hong Kong in 1970, one in Singapore in 1973, another in Tokyo in 1974 and the first of more than 40 on the mainland in 2001.
Today, of its 300 or so boutiques worldwide, a significant number serve an Asian clientele.
So it is as an established partner to Asia that Cartier participates in Watches& Wonders.
"Since the invention of the wristwatch in 1904, Cartier has been pushing back the boundaries of watchmaking," says Stanislas de Quercize, CEO and president of Cartier International. "Being part of Watches&Wonders is a unique opportunity for our maison to showcase not only fine watches, reflecting Cartier's extensive creative patrimony, but also a large selection of contemporary timepieces which exemplify our core values: excellence, craftsmanship and defining style."
What could exemplify this more than the Tank MC, an elegant yet masculine version of the timeless Tank? The famous rectangular face is wider, but the look is still Tank, with the guilloché dial, the "rail-track" and the Roman numerals. Tank MC is a self-winding watch, and its movement, the 1904 MC, was the very first produced by Cartier Manufacture.
Watches&Wonders visitors will see Tank MC in several variations, including cases in all-steel or pink gold, and dials in white or chocolate. Highlights include a diamond-set version and a skeletonised timepiece in palladium.