SJX
[Purist]
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Part XI: Enamelling
One of the highlights of the manufacture is its enamelling atelier. This is a rare and impressive skill that few manufactures possess. Enamel is created by melting powdered glass onto a substrate, usually metal in watchmaking, with colour coming from metals added to the powder. A vast palette of colours is possible depending on the particular mixture used. The enamel powder is ground by hand with a mortar and pestle and a bit of water. It is then applied with a tiny brush via a microscope. Three enamellers work on decoration with enamel in techniques like cloisonné and champlevé. Each enamel artist is equipped with her own tools and oven, and generally works on an entire piece from start to finish. Both serial production and unique, bespoke pieces are made here; but because enamelling is so time consuming even serial production means one or two dozen pieces at most and each will nonetheless be unique. Remarkable as it is, the enamelling atelier was only established three years ago and is still a work in progress with the enamellers still learning new techniques. click here for Part XII. 
A visit to Manufacture Cartier in La Chaux-de-Fonds
Cartier has five facilities in Switzerland, but the Cartier manufacture is in La Chaux-de-Fonds; everything from the Cartier Fine Watchmaking tourbillon to the Santos 100 is made there in one way or other. This provides an overview of the Cartier manufact...
Part I: Development
The entire development department, comprising technical development, R&D and the others mentioned below, are collectively known as the Think Tank (yes, it’s a pun on the that Cartier watch), and is situated in one wing of the manufacture across four...
Part II: Construction, prototyping and testing
After development and R&D is construction. Put simply, technical development creates the movement and construction puts it in a case; the folks here design the case, dial and hands around the movement. One of the most challenging creations was the Astroto...
Part III: Case and bracelet manufacturing
Cartier’s production is most impressive, both for its scale and range. For instance there are 18 turning machines (specifically bar-fed, turning machines) in La Chaux-de-Fonds making only bracelet and clasp parts. Some of these Bumotec S-1000 machin...
Part IV: Movement manufacturing
Movement components are of course manufactured in La Chaux-de-Fonds, ranging from the basic 1904 MC automatic to the Astrotourbillon. These are made on a variety of milling and drilling machines. Raw components from the milling machines are beadblasted to...
Part V: Production of hands and crystal
Cartier even manufactures hands in-house. The department producing hands is fully integrated, from stamping, polishing, bluing or plating and application of Luminova. In fact, it even has a machine that cuts and punches the small paper cards that hold the...
Part VI: Mechanical movement assembly
Movement assembly is split into three areas: mechanical and quartz. Assembly for mechanical and quartz movements are done assembly line style, with one watchmaker assembling one portion of the movement. Movements are slid from one watchmaker to another vi...
Part VII: Quartz movement assembly
Cartier makes all the mechanical and non-moving components of the quartz movements in-house, save for the quartz, battery and integrated circuit. The quartz movements are designed by Cartier and the ICs made to specification by an external contractor. The...
Great post!
Great to get such an inside in the Cartier-facilities! I think it is also very good people see how high end a Cartier-quartz movement is. Martin
Thank You!
This is excellent information. I am the proud owner of a Cartier Tank Solo. Although I knew that the movement is made inhouse, this extra information has added to my confidence in the Cartier inhouse quartz movements. Since getting my first Cartier with a...
Part VIII: High complications
High complications are completed in a separate area. Each complicated watch, the Tortue perpetual calendar or Astrotourbillon for example, is completed by one watchmaker. All the parts that comprise the watch, case, dial, hands and movement components, ar...
Part IX: Casing
Once the movements are assembled, they are sent to the adjacent casing area. Here, dials and hands are mounted on the movement, after which it is cased and the strap or bracelet is installed. The completed watches then undergo quality control checks for t...
Part X: Finishing and decoration
Decoration and fine finishing of movement components is done in an atelier adjacent to the workshops for high jewellery and enamel. The atelier is quiet and the work careful. The watchmakers in this atelier do bevelling, striping and other decorative poli...
Part XI: Enamelling
One of the highlights of the manufacture is its enamelling atelier. This is a rare and impressive skill that few manufactures possess. Enamel is created by melting powdered glass onto a substrate, usually metal in watchmaking, with colour coming from meta...
Part XII: High Jewellery
Needless to say, Cartier has its own high jewellery department in the manufacture to work on high jewellery watches. Only the very highest end jewellery watches are created here, including the unique pieces with dozens or hundreds of carats of gems unveil...
Part XIII: Restoration and ultra-complications
Restoration of vintage watches and assembly of ultra-complications are done in a small atelier. Practically any vintage timepiece can be restored here, including clocks, pocket watches and pendant watches. And by restoration I mean the entire object, not ...
Thank you ..........
for bringing us one of the most extensive and impressive pictorial reports I can remember reading about any watch company. The incredible amount of time and effort you put in, culminating in a comprehensive report, wiill leave readers - including myself -...
superb report - kudos
very comprehensive...giving us better appreciation of Cartier's horological skills and capabilities.
Another slam dunk review my globe trotting friend...
I love those brightly colored croco hides and those little rubber thingies for the fingers... does durex make them as well LOL.. Seriously though.. Cartier's setup looks impressive and that is mirrored by some of their creatiosn of late.
Cartier
Excellent report! It certainly gives one understanding why the watches cost what they do. Quite an amazing amount of manpower and machine work. Thank you
I was speechless when I saw this coming up
I cannot imagine a better overview report of the La Chaud-de-Fonds ateliers, then this one. Thanks so much for this huge and excellent report, It's like, if I had been there myself. Superb & great work SJX! GEO
Today I had a chance to read it all
and I have to go thru it a few more times; really a lot of very interesting information SJX. It may sound silly, but I was also very impressed and surprised to seeing how the polishing is being done. Especially since some watch bracelets are pretty compli...
Cartier case and bracelet work is very good
and now you know why. Thanks for the kind comments Geo. - SJX
Reference report. Thanks for sharing... the
bar just keeps getting higher and higher. GREAT job JX!!
very nice report...
... and many thanks for taking us to see such impressive watch manufacture! stefan
Well JX
This is just a fantastic report for the archives. Very comprehensive and eye-opening. Good to know which spa our watches end up at when they're sent to La Chaux-de-Fonds! People who see Cartier as just jewelers should be directed to this post. Thanks very...
There is no formal visit programme for the public but
Currently tours have only been conducted for press, but if you are keen, drop me a line. - SJX
Thank you very much for this galore of info
about Cartier ... chapeau for you kind effort to bring us atmosphere of big manufacture All the best Damian
Incredible manufacturing capacities
Hi SJX, Thank you for your superb report. Your report shows incredible creation and manufacturing capacities for this great brand that is one of the pillars of the wristwatch history and industry. I hope it will help people better understand the value of ...
Great series of posts, SJX!
I'm wowed by your pictures and coverage. I love seeing all the behind-the-scenes shots of artisans at their craft and humongous machines doing their thing. Cartier's integrated method of production is quite impressive! Cheers, Daos
Yikes - what a report!! Great report SJX and brilliantly
in depth. Love the way Cartier are pushing forward, while also taking care of the past and heritage pieces. If ever there was a lesson on how to enhance your capabilities and push towards the future, Cartier provides the ideal case study. Very very impres...
Identification of backwind caliber in picture......
Loved the article and pictures! Truly a remarkable documentary! Just a small question about the backwind caliber shown in the pictures for this installment (Chapter XIII: Restoration). I believe that you may have mis-identified the small backwind movement...
Thanks Greg. You're right...
It appears you are right, it is indeed the 403. The 101 and 104 were also used for the Duoplan and are similar in some respects, but different calibres all together as you point out. - SJX
Awesome pics SJX!
Hello SJX, Thanks for taking us along for the manufacturer tour at Cartier! Nice Ballon Bleu wrist shot! -MW
Thanks for taking us along on this visit to Cartier
Thanks SJX. In particular I enjoyed the post on the finishing and decorating. It's such intricate work and you can see the concentration on the watchmakers. Regards, ED-209
Congrats SJX for this superb and comprehensive report.
We clearly understand that the Cartier strategy is based upon strong know-how. Fr.Xavier
Very informative report, SJX.
BTW, any info on the number of employees in that manufacturing plant? Regards Ling
Thanks for a virtual tour of the Cartier manufacture
Very thorough report that many will enjoy to read over and over. Great work SJX! Cheers, Anthony
Very impressive series, JX, and frankly, the more I see and learn about Cartier
the more I am finding it impossible to resist the temptation. I had a chance to visit the NYC flagship boutique - wow! Now that is the classic definition of luxury Salon! I agree with you about the dial and casework, Cartier has always been tops in these ...
Excellent information
What a fantastic and insightful article. Thank you for putting in so much effort to allow all of us access to such good information.