Founded in 1847 in Paris by Louis-François Cartier, Cartier has become one of the world’s leading names in fine jewelry and luxury watches. Over the last century, Cartier has produced a slew of iconic watches for men and women, many of which remain in the brand’s catalog today.
In 1903, the founder's grandson, Louis Cartier, created the world’s first purpose-built wristwatch for men. The watch is now known as the Cartier Santos because it was designed for pioneering aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont to wear on his wrist while flying rather than dealing with a cumbersome pocket watch.
Featuring a square case, exposed screws on the square dial, and more often than not, an integrated bracelet also decorated with exposed screws, the Santos remains one of the most sought-after Cartier watches for sale today.
Another important model that Lous Cartier designed was the Tank watch, inspired by the Renault FT-17 tanks used during World War I. The maiden model, now called the Tank Normale, debuted in 1918 and featured a rectangular case with straight “brancards” (French for “stretcher”) on the sides that extend into lugs and a square dial.
Over the ensuing decades, Cartier developed a range of Tank versions including the elongated Tank Cintrée and Tank Américane, the dressy Tank Louis Cartier, the beefy Tank Anglaise and Tank MC, the minimalist Tank Solo and Tank Must, the whimsical Tank Asymetrique and Tank Chinoise, and the chain-link-clad Tank Française.
Regardless of the specific version, they all include square or rectangular cases and dials fitted with the signature brancards. While the Santos and the Tank are typically the most popular choices when looking to buy Cartier watches, the brand offers plenty of others.
For instance, there’s the tortoise shell-shaped Cartier Tortue, the bathtub-shaped Cartier Baignoire, the Gerald Genta-designed sporty Pasha, and the classically circular Cartier Ronde. There’s also the highly collectible Cartier Crash, the modern pebble-shaped Cartier Ballon Bleu, the robust Cartier Calibre with in-house movements, the mid-century sportscar-inspired Cartier Roadster, and the complicated Cartier Rotonde.
The glamorous Cartier Panthere with the supple brick-link bracelet is a popular option for women, not to mention all the high-jewelry Cartier watch creations. In short, the choice of Cartier watches for sale is immense, not only in terms of models but also with respect to materials, sizes, gem-setting, and functions.
Although Cartier produces a vast assortment of watch models, the brand uses a few signature details on most of its watches, which makes Cartier's timepieces instantly recognizable.
When you buy Cartier watches, most (but not all) of them will include:
Cartier is particularly famous for designing shaped watches, which the brand defines as non-round timepieces. From sleek rectangular and square shapes to asymmetrical silhouettes to vintage-inspired barrel and cushion forms, the creativity among Cartier watches is limitless.