A luxury watch does not always have to be trendy or in style right now to make it a key piece in your wardrobe. In fact, what makes a staple accessory is one that can be worn through the seasons without going in and out of fashion. These are the items you will find yourself most drawn to, and also the items that you are likely to make the most money on.
What makes a piece of jewellery ‘timeless’?
A piece of jewellery that is timeless is often described as one which will struggle to go out of fashion in the future. There are certain timeless pieces of jewellery that every jewellery box or wardrobe should have. For example, a pair of gold small chunky hoops will forever be a staple item or a simple ring. These are items that can be worn throughout the seasons, and throughout any trend cycle too. This year, prioritise creating an accessory capsule wardrobe to ensure you have not got any jewellery in your box that you never wear.
How much does a Cartier watch cost?
As you might have guessed, these watches do not tend to come cheap. There is a certain price tag that comes along with the timelessness that Cartier’s watches provide. Their watches are an investment piece, they are manufactured to last years and years, generation to generation. There is no one price for all of the watches that we are about to list below. Prices depend on a lot of factors like; exclusivity, colour and model. The Tank de Cartier watch tends to be the cheapest, at a price of around £2,500. On the other side of things, the Santos de Cartier can be priced at around £25,000 to £35,000.
Iconic Cartier watches
There are so many luxury watches on the market, you might be thinking, why Cartier? With Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin as contenders, it can be a struggle to commit to one jeweller to choose from, especially when deciding on a watch that can be an investment to be sold on later. Cartier’s watches, much like the rest of their jewellery, appeal to the minimalists in the world. Their designs are always sleek and never too much in-your-face, which is why they are often dubbed as being timeless accessories.
Clé de Cartier
This line is a new collection from Cartier and it was only released in 2015. The concept of the watch was that the face itself should have more of a rounded shape than the infamous Ballon Bleu watch. As any watch enthusiast would know, Cartier loves to create watches that have one distinguishing feature. Take the round cover on the Ballon Bleu watch as an example. The Clé de Cartier introduces another interesting feature to their collection – a rectangular-shaped crown. This is reminiscent of the old keys which used to be used to wind pocket watches and clocks.
Tank de Cartier
The Tank de Cartier proves its timelessness because of how long it has been around. In 2017 the watch celebrated its 100th anniversary, and the fact that the watch is still around is a huge achievement. The original inspiration behind the Tank watch is rumoured to have been the images from the Great War. In fact, when looking at the watch, the case looks like a tank’s cockpit and the brancards remind wearers of a tank’s treads. Again, when the watch first launched Cartier’s designs were seen as ‘out there’ due to the case shape (which is somewhere between a rectangle and a square). However, the shape is arguably the attribute that has kept watch enthusiasts coming back to this watch time and time again.
Cartier Ballon Bleu watch
The Ballon Bleu watch is famous for striking a balance that is often extremely hard to find. A watch that looks feminine and elegant, but at the same time makes a statement. This means that when you buy a Ballon Bleau in a larger size, it can also look masculine. The Ballon Bleu is not only famous for its unisex design though. The crown of this watch is set with a sapphire cabochon and the case, again, is shaped unusually. This time, like a pebble, which makes the Ballon Bleu extremely comfortable to wear.
Panthère de Cartier
The Panthère de Cartier is a watch that is a little more unknown, compared to huge names like the Tank and the Ballon Bleu. However, this watch has always been successful for its size, elegant design and linked bracelet. The Panthère all but disappeared in the early 2000s until it was re-released in January 2017, with a design similar to the Santos de Cartier (we will come onto this timepiece next). The watch has a square case with a bezel which is secured with 8 tiny screws. The Panthère has that traditional look too, thanks to its elongated Roman numerals marking the time.
Santos de Cartier
The Santos watch has a pretty impressive history behind it, as it was the first watch that was designed to be worn on the wrist. Between the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, watches were on the move. Individuals were moving their pocket watches to their wrists in a bid for added practicality. Since its original design, it has been re-invented a little. The Santos was re-released in 2018, where we saw a new kind of shapeliness to the case of the watch, and a softness we had not seen in this watch before.
Accessorise like a Royal
It is no secret that the Royal family love their Cartier watches. Kate Middleton is rarely photographed without her Cartier Ballon Bleu watch, and she has owned this timepiece for years. Also, since Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in 2018, she has been spotted often wearing the Tank de Cartier wristwatch. Although it is rumoured that Meghan bought two when her acting career first took off, and engraved ‘To M.M, From M.M’ on the back of it. Both Royal women will probably end up passing their watches down to future generations because Cartier’s watches are unlikely to ever go out of style.
