This week, we teamed up with Cartier over three nights of watch appreciation, and as a first, a special date night just for couples who love Cartier in a Watch Advice x Cartier first.
As is now tradition at this time of year, Watch Advice has once again partnered with Cartier to bring the Maison’s latest novelties into collectors’ hands. This year, we hosted watch collectors, lovers and enthusiasts over two nights to showcase the latest Cartier pieces that the brand has released this year.
However, we also hosted a third night with a difference – a couple’s night, or a date night if you will, where six lucky couples were able to get up close and personal with the time pieces, not to mention pairing some of Cartier’s jewellery with those pieces for him and her. What could be better than a date night in Cartier?
The Enthusiasts
There are a few brands out there that stir and pull the heartstrings, and one of these is Cartier. And arguably, not many do storytelling better than Cartier, as the brand has such a rich history and heritage, not to mention many of the collections have an origin story thanks to the various places Cartier has taken design inspiration from. How many brands out there looked at a Renault Tank and said, “Yes, that’s the next case shape we’re going to design!”
So, on a night where we can delve into the history and stories of these pieces, it helps to invigorate a love for the brand all over again. For many collectors, they may have heard these stories before, and for others, this is the first time they are really getting into the heritage of Cartier and hearing the tales for the first time.
Each night, we hosted an intimate number of collectors and enthusiasts. Keeping the numbers small means that each person can get up close and get hands-on with each piece for a good amount of time. There’s nothing worse than going to an event with lots of people and a select number of watches and only being able to see and hold them for a very short period of time. Initmate also means that we’re able to talk one-on-one with everyone and have an actual conversation too, not just the passing remarks or small talk you have at large-scale events.
With the group split into two, Alex Haynes, Cartier’s Watch Ambassador in Brisbane, alongside Nicola Ashworth, Cartier Watches Australia’s Marketing Manager, took watch aficionados on a journey through time (pardon the pun) as the guests were able to explore the collections and core pieces within.
With a large range of watches on display, including the new and very rare Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets, there was plenty for the guests to get their hands on, try on, and decide which were for them. The new Santos de Cartier in Titanium seemed to pique some of the guys’ interest, while the Tank range was also a favourite.
The high jewellery pieces garnered a lot of attention as well, thanks to their sheer stunningness. Each year, Cartier brings out some amazing jewellery watches that come out of Cartier’s Metiers d’Arts division, and no matter who you are, you have to appreciate them just from the gem setting alone.
At the end of the two nights, many newcomers to the brand walked away with a much greater appreciation for Cartier, the stories behind the creations (partly in thanks to how well Alex and Nicola convey these to people!) and the time pieces themselves. And for those who are not new, they are now even more infatuated with Cartier. I did hear on a few occasions across both nights something to this effect: “I just love Cartier”, or “Seeing all these watches up close makes you appreciate them even more”, and “This is why Cartier is for me!”
Date Night With A Difference
In addition to the two nights for the collectors, this year, we thought we’d try something a little different. While we here at Watch Advice are all about watches, you can’t ignore the fact that Cartier has an amazing jewellery collection. Let’s face it, it is how the Maison started, and with pieces like Clash, Pasha, and Love, they too have a great story to tell. Watches and Jewellery go hand in hand, and just like two love birds walking across the Pont des Arts in Paris, so too do a Cartier Tank à Guichets and a Juste un Clou bracelet.
And let’s face it, Cartier has some incredible watches for both men and women, many being gender neutral as is the jewellery, so it was the perfect opportunity to host a date night for couples in the Cartier Brisbane Boutique, so each could explore both the watches and jewellery together, and perhaps find the perfect his and hers pairing.
But, the night was about the showcase of Cartier watches, and having couples to appreciate it together was a nice touch and all seemed to enjoy it together. If only I was able to attend with my wife! Rather than two groups, we all sat together in a group, and after a drink or two, and everyone introducing themselves, people started to open up and the fun began.
With the same watches on show, it was great to see what people gravitated towards, especially what the ladies and men liked. Unsurprisingly, the ladies fell in love with many of the high jewellery pieces as well as the gold models, with the new gold Santos Small a hit, most thanks to its size.
When it came to the high jewellery pieces, they really lit up the eyes of many of the guests. Even stacking them on the wrist seemed a novelty, and why not? When will you have the chance to stack some beautiful pieces on the wrist, especially high jewellery?
Another watch that people really liked was the new Ballon Bleu models in yellow gold and the blue, green and aventurine dials. The Ballon Bleu is a little underrated in my opinion, and the new models showed just how nice this collection is. Added to this, the rose gold with mother-of-pearl dial in the 36mm was another favourite, with many of the ladies gravitating towards it.
After, guests could wander about the boutique, enjoying more food and Champagne, browsing all the wonderful pieces and jewellery that Cartier has to offer. I’ll say that being able to have the entire boutique to yourself, well, yourself and a few other couples, to shop at leisure, is a wonderful experience. And coming into Christmas with the boutique decked out in Christmas decorations, it makes it even more special
If you’re after a great Christmas gift, pop into your local Cartier Boutique.