Manufacture
SJX's exclusive report provides an unprecedented look inside the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, showcasing the brand's extensive in-house capabilities. This article distills insights from a VIP client tour, revealing Cartier's significant investment in watchmaking, from movement finishing to specialized crafts like enameling. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of Cartier's journey to becoming a true haute horlogerie manufacture.
At end March, Cartier invited a select group of clients to visit its impressive manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, one of the first times the facility has been opened to customers. The photos from the visit demonstrate the expansive array of capabilities inside the 33,000 sq ft at La Chaux-de-Fonds that few know about. These photos from the VIP tour will give some indication of what goes on inside the manufacture.
The reception area of the manufacture
Something new - the ID One concept "world premiere" on display
And something old - a vintage pocket watch calibre
Watchmaking, movement finishing, assembly and casing is done on a large scale for the entry level watches, and on a more inimate scale for the high watchmaking timepieces.
Above shows the assembly of a Santos Dumont
Movements and dials for the new Astrotourbillon
The following photo shows the relaxed brainstorming room, where technical staff led by Carole Forestier can meet and discuss ideas.
Note the poster on the wall with watches from the Collection Privee Cartier Paris, including the very rare Pasha tourbillon and Tortue minute repeater
The R&D department at the manufacture is comprehensive - almost anything is possible there.
Cross section of the movement in the Rotonde skeleton flying tourbillon
Beyond watch assembling, Cartier also makes hands, cases and even crystals at La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Polishing of sapphire crystals
A sample of the hands made in the manufacture
Gem-setting for watches is also done at the manufacture, shown below, though some of it is also done at the high jewellery workshops in Paris.
Even more impressively Cartier has a department dedicated to enamelling which is extremely uncommon as most companies outsource enamel work.
The amazing palette of enamel colours available
And one of the complete products, the Rotonde de Cartier skeleton tourbillon.
More on the manfacture soon to come.
- SJX
This message has been edited by SJX on 2010-05-01 00:45:53 This message has been edited by SJX on 2010-05-02 00:13:51 This message has been edited by SJX on 2010-05-02 20:59:40No message body
Thanks SJX. Regards, ED-209
You mentioned that assembly is done in large scale for lower end models, but aren't Dumonts considered as higher end?
My statement was a very general statement; strictly speaking only the Santos Dumont skeleton is part of the high watchmaking collection. The regular Santos Dumont is however a very fine watch with an ultra-slim calibre (Piaget origin) inside. It is comparable to the discontinued CPCP. Within the Cartier line there are no specific distinctions between entry level, mid range and high end so strictly speaking they are part of the same range even though the Santos Dumont is much finer mechanically t
By the way, do Cartier manufacture their own watch parts (not the ETA movements obviously) like the hands, dials, etc and assembles them there?
they make cases, dials, bracelets as well as movement parts, though not everything is done at La Chaux-de-Fonds. The flying tourbillon is made in Geneva, hence the Geneva Seal, while some jewellery pieces are set in Paris. The end goal is to be entirely self-sufficient several years down the road hence the resources put into La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture and elsewhere. - SJX
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