A Different Angle

Never traditional to begin with, Cartier’s new Tank Asymétrique is reimagined with modern perspectives

- Melissa Kong

There are a few words that come to mind when one thinks of the Maison Cartier. ‘Luxurious’, ‘glamorous’ and ‘artistic’ are certainly some of them, but the alluring thing about Cartier— what seduces you into that beguiling world of the Maison—is that it is as much a rebel as it is a star. And who doesn’t love a wild child?

From the Crash watch, said to be inspired by a deformed Baignoire Allongée damaged in a car crash (hence the moniker), to 2020’s new-and-improved Pasha featuring its iconic square within a circle design, Cartier delights in breaking the rules. In fact, it is this unencumbered creativity that has helped conceive some of Cartier’s most inspired timepieces.

Gentleman’s Club

The same approach drives Cartier’s revived Privé collection. Introduced in 1998 as a platform to celebrate the Maison’s historically important designs, the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP), as it was known back then, showcased some of Louis Cartier’s most illustrious works, like the Santos-Dumont and Tank Louis Cartier. The CPCP ran for a decade, with an emphasis on classic codes and heritage, before going quiet and then making a comeback in 2017 with a refreshed take on the Crash watch.