Cartier Watches
King Edward VII of England called Cartier the “jeweler of kings and king of jewelers.” Established in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, the French maison was from its beginnings a darling of the aristocracy. But it was the founder’s grandson, Louis Cartier, who cemented its reputation as a trendsetting watchmaker. In 1904, he made the first men’s wristwatch for a friend, Brazilian coffee-plantation heir Alberto Santos-Dumont.
Although the pocket watch was the de rigueur men’s accessory of the day, Santos-Dumont, a pioneering aviator, found his own hard to consult while keeping his plane aloft. Louis fashioned a timepiece with a flat, square case on a leather strap that could be referred to easily at a glance. Named in honor of Louis’s friend, the Santos was eventually produced for sale in 1911.
Deemed daring and modern, men’s wristwatches became a vogue among the elite. Capitalizing on his success, Louis released the Tonneau in 1906. Its barrel-shaped case, another departure from the traditional round pocket watch, was embraced by other savvy watchmakers and remains a perennial favorite.
However, the Tonneau was soon eclipsed by Louis’s most iconic design. During the First World War, he was so impressed by the Renault tanks he saw on the Western Front that in 1917, he created a watch inspired by their industrial forms — the Cartier Tank watch.
Louis’s inventive streak didn’t stop at men’s watches. In 1906, he took a traditional round ladies’ case and stretched it into an elegant oval. The style was later dubbed the Baignoire for its resemblance to the elongated curves of a bathtub. In 1914, he commissioned artist George Barbier to illustrate an invitation to an upcoming exhibition. The resulting Dame à la panthère marked the debut of the animal that would become synonymous with the house.
That same year, Cartier introduced its first jewel incorporating the panther motif: a diamond watch with onyx spots, the inspiration for the current women’s Panthère model. After Louis’s death, in 1942, his legacy continued in the brand’s penchant for timepieces with unusual shapes. Its ultimate expression may be the Dalí-esque Crash watch, introduced in 1967 and said to be modeled on a Baignoire pulled from a car wreck.
Browse an expansive collection of Cartier watches today on 1stDibs.
1930s Art Deco Vintage Cartier Watches
Diamond, Platinum
1970s Vintage Cartier Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Cartier Watches
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Artisan Cartier Watches
Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold
2010s Cartier Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Cartier Watches
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Spinel, Stainless Steel, Steel
1970s Vintage Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Cartier Watches
Diamond, White Gold
1970s Vintage Cartier Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Cartier Watches
18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Modern Cartier Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1990s Contemporary Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Cartier Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold
2010s Cartier Watches
2010s Cartier Watches
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel
1990s Cartier Watches
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel
1920s Art Deco Vintage Cartier Watches
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Rose Gold, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Rose Gold, Silver
20th Century Cartier Watches
White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Silver, Steel
20th Century Cartier Watches
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel
20th Century Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Steel, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold
2010s Cartier Watches
2010s Cartier Watches
2010s Cartier Watches
Early 2000s Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
1990s Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel, Yellow Gold
1970s Modern Vintage Cartier Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Modern Cartier Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Cartier Watches
Platinum
2010s Cartier Watches
Early 20th Century Art Deco Cartier Watches
18k Gold, Enamel
Early 2000s Cartier Watches
Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
1990s Contemporary Cartier Watches
Diamond, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Rose Gold, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel
2010s Cartier Watches
Rose Gold
2010s Cartier Watches
Rose Gold
2010s Cartier Watches
White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cartier Watches
Stainless Steel