History of Cartier

Cartier, well known for its bespoken jewellery masterpieces and wristwatches, was founded by Louis-François Cartier in 1847 when he took over the workshop of his master. In 1874, Louis-François' son, Alfred Cartier, took over the company, but it was Alfred's sons Louis, Pierre and Jacques, who were responsible for establishing the brand name worldwide. 

In 1904, the Brazilian pioneer aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont complained to his friend Louis Cartier of the unreliability and impracticality of using pocket watches while flying. Cartier designed a flat wristwatch with a distinctive square bezel and thus was born Cartier's first men's wristwatch.

By 1907, Cartier had branches in London, New York and St.Petersburg and was quickly becoming one of the most successful luxury goods and watch companies in the world.

As the 19th Century came to a close, Cartier increasingly became interested not only in jewellery, but also in all kinds of everyday objects, including writing instruments. Hand-drawn sketches from 1860 illustrate every detail of a jasper nib and a golden pen. Mechanical pencils were also documented with specific requirements from private customers and the Maison began to produce writing instruments on a large scale in 1910.

In 1924, Cartier introduced a range of writing instruments made from onyx, moonstone and opal, and they became a huge success (relatively speaking!) with their affluent customers. The Maharajah of Patiala (one of Cartier's wealthiest customers) was interested in writing instruments and letter openers with built-in miniature clocks which he ordered in large numbers.

In the 1960s, writing instruments made of gold and bamboo caused quite a stir and are highly valuable collectables to this day. These were immediately replicated by the likes of Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston and several other jewellery houses.

In 1973, Cartier developed "Les Must de Cartier", a new concept that represented a revolutionary break in the luxury goods industry, introducing also a range of writing instruments that became one of Cartier's most recognised product lines to this day.

To celebrate the Maison's 150th Anniversary, Cartier created a new high-end line of pens in 1997, the Louis Cartier collection in a variety of decors and finishes.