LA COURBE CARTIER
The genesis of the cult Cartier accessory that exudes extravagant style and supreme simplicity
In 1912, Louis Cartier made a delightful design discovery that would later on go down in Cartier’s history as a trademark of elegance and simplicity for women all over. He took the usual round watch shape and elongated it to produce two straight lines enclosed by two curves. This iconic shape gave birth to a delicate and distinguished watch: the Baignoire. For years, this simple yet brilliant alteration has wooed women of elegance, giving them a taste of refinement and class with just one timepiece.
The distinct Baignoire was given a further upgrade in the 1950s, when its oval silhouette was given a more curvaceous accent on the sides. Its dial was stamped with redesigned Roman or Arabic numerals on a silvered sandblasted background, and encased by lustrous gold gadroons. It came with a narrower bracelet that wrapped around the wrist in a polished aesthetic. The back was seamlessly integrated into the case with water resistance up to 30 meters, offering full conformance with modern quality standards. From a sleek, graphic oval, the Baignoire took on voluptuous curves, becoming a figure of feminine sensuality.
Entering the third chapter into its evolution, the Baignoire is given a modern upgrade while retaining the original heritage of the timepiece. Like a fixation, the new Baignoire Allongée watch brings forth new desires, such as the yearning to give its exuberant elegance texture and relief. The face of the new Baignoire is elongated further to span the whole wrist with such grace. Its back is arched outward so that it hugs the form of the wrist snugly, making it truly a part of yourself. The extraordinary elegance of the watch is given a daring design on its extravagant bezel. Sculpted gold is worked into studs that are stylishly adopted into the shape of the clou de Paris and taken from Cartier’s jewellery repertoire. Another design displays dazzling diamonds set along the width of the gadroons and reaching the case back. This subtle advancement represents the great refinement Cartier imparts on its adornments.
From its creation up until today, the Baignoire has been a signature watch for women who don’t follow trends, but rather choose timeless staples. This unique watch exudes an air of French chic with its understated gentility—embraced by women who are in the know, know what they want, and make their style their own.
See the whole collection on Cartier’s website