INSPIRED DESIGN

CARTIER HAS BROUGHT US MANY MEMORABLE SHAPES AND FORMS OVER THE DECADES—THE SANTOS, TANK, BALLON BLEU, AND CRASH, TO NAME A FEW—WHICH WERE GROUNDBREAKING THEN AND ARE CONSIDERED TRUE CLASSICS TODAY. THIS YEAR, CARTIER SET OUT TO REPEAT HISTORY WITH THE CLÉ DE CARTIER, THE MAISON’S NEWEST SHAPE. AS WITH MOST OF CARTIER’S CREATIONS, THE WORKING PRINCIPLE WAS TO CREATE A SHAPE THAT WAS SIMPLE AND ELEGANT BUT ONE WITH STRONG LINES AND A HIGHLY DISTINCT APPEARANCE. THE CLÉ DE CARTIER IS DISTINGUISHED FOR ITS TIGHTLY DRAWN CURVE AND ARCHED BUT STREAMLINED PROFILE, WHICH TOGETHER FORM A SHAPE THAT IS SLEEK AND ERGONOMIC, MAKING THE TIMEPIECE NOT ONLY LOOK LIKE IT’S SITTING COMFORTABLY ON THE WRIST, IT ACTUALLY DOES. GIVEN THAT CLÉ IS FRENCH FOR “KEY,” ITS CROWN WAS MADE TO RESEMBLE ONE, WHICH MIMICS THE MOTION OF TURNING A KEY TO WIND UP A CLOCK. A COMPLETELY NEW MOVEMENT WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE CLÉ, WHICH DELIVERS A 42-HOUR POWER RESERVE; IT FEATURES A “RAPID BARREL” DESIGNED TO IMPROVE CHRONOMETRIC PRECISION AND STABILITY.