Antiques: Cartier is the high end's high end

For some reason, there's been a lot of interest in vintage Cartier items recently. Without a doubt, it's one of the world's great luxury brands with a history dating back to 1847, but I can't explain why it's a name on everyone's lips these days. Nearly as old as Tiffany (f. 1837) and even more expensive, it's not for the everyman's wallet.

Nonetheless, Cartier jewelry and watches remain aspirational pieces for those who want and can afford the finest.  Its ability to remain a family business for nearly 120 years is a further part of its mystique, but let's glide back through the ages to figure out the rest.

Founded in Paris on the heels of the French Revolution, the company came about when Louis-Francoise Cartier took over a small jewelry maker at which he had apprenticed and put it in motion. While not a hugely adept businessman, he was a hard worker and within a dozen years had opened the first Cartier boutique. In 1874, the firm passed to his son Alfred who proved to be both ambitious and capable. He was able to penetrate the royal houses of Europe with his creations, ultimately becoming a favorite of King Edward VII (among others) who reigned over England and her territories from 1901-1910.

Despite Alfred's success, it wasn't until his three sons — Jacques, Louis, and Pierre — took over the business that it became a worldwide enterprise. From an early age, the brothers knew it was their destiny to make Cartier a household name. Their strategy was to divide and conquer: Jacques would concentrate on the United Kingdom, Louis would develop the rest of the European market, and Pierre would take on the new world. Each proved to be hugely successful. They developed loyal followings among their respective elites and built a network of clients around the globe.

Their dealings were discrete, except when they chose not to be. In particular, Pierre understood the value of the right kind of publicity and made waves in the tabloids with his purchase and subsequent drawn-out sale of the legendary Hope Diamond. In later years, he did it again by turning a spectacular pearl necklace into what became Cartier's flagship store on a prominent corner of 5th Avenue in New York. As for Jacques, his initial lack of enthusiasm for the business disappeared after courting an heiress, and his subsequent travels through the sub-continent of India yielded relations with maharajas, who became huge customers.

After more than a century of family-owned success, Cartier was finally sold in 1964 and today is owned by the Richemont Group of Switzerland. Although jewelry remains a touchstone of the firm, it has also pioneered a number of watch designs that have become iconic.

The Santos watch, with its large square dial, was designed for early pilots and introduced in 1911. The Tank watch, a somewhat narrower version of the Santos, came out in 1917 and was supposedly inspired by the French Renault tanks used during WWI. Versions of both remain in production today, as are the Pasha and Ballon Blue.

The genius of Cartier has always been in its immediately identifiable designs.  If you have the means to own one, there are others who will recognize it for what it is.

Mike Rivkin and his wife, Linda, are longtime residents of Rancho Mirage. For many years, he was an award-winning catalogue publisher and has authored seven books, along with countless articles. Now, he's the owner of Antique Galleries of Palm Springs. His antiques column appears Sundays in The Desert Sun. Want to send Mike a question about antiques? Drop him a line at info@silverfishpress.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Antiques: Cartier is the high end's high end