Cartier presents Libre

Every year, the Cartier Libre collection explores the Maison’s repertoire of signature-shaped watches. A candid look that revisits and shakes up codes, revealing the wealth of inspiration found in Cartier’s watchmaking repertoire of shapes through unique creations. “This collection, a balance between measure and excess, cannot be categorised. Hence its name: Cartier Libre.”Pierre Rainero, Director of Image, Style and HeritageatCartier.

For this third opus of the Cartier Libre collection, the Studio designers have chosen to combine signature shapes from the Cartier watchmaking repertoire with iconic animals from the Maison’s menagerie. Baignoire/Tortue, Tortue/Serpent: a duo of precious watches is thus born, unexpected and enhanced encounters are interpreted though extravagant and highly jewelled creations.

Behind the excessive shapes lies meticulous design. Purity of the line, precise proportions and precious details, Cartier’s unique vision of design is expressed through these watches, questioning the established order of things and making watchmaking and jewellery shine with the same radiance in a twist of madness and freedom. “Because Cartier is above all a jeweller, our creations transcend all categories. They are not just instruments for telling the time, nor are they simply jewellery. They are a third type of object with their own uniqueness. Cartier watches only resemble themselves.” Marie-Laure Cérède, Director of Design for Watchmaking at Cartier.

A strong creative dynamic based on the Maison’s founding values. Cartier has long been committed to continuous improvement, to guarantee responsible procurement and to taking steps to develop the best practices in the industry. Constantly pioneering, the Maison co-founded the Responsible Jewellery Council in 2005, which endeavours to abide by responsible practices, from the mines all the way to the point of sale. A decade on, Cartierrea rms this commitment by collaborating with the industry andrelevant countries’ governments, and by actively participating in the creation of the Coloured Gemstones Working Group, an international entity that seeks to improve the sourcing of coloured stones as well as guaranteeing their provenance and responsible production.