Blurring the lines between jewellery and watchmaking, Cartier joins forces with Lou Doillon to celebrate the Baignoire Watch.
Lou Doillon is more than a French ‘it’ girl, she’s an artist with a thousand facets. The singer, songwriter, actress, writer, artist and model has a certain je ne sais quoi reminiscent of Patti Smith and Nick Cave. The imitable Parisian is easily identified by her shaggy chic bangs and rock ‘n’ roll wardrobe, she started acting at the age of five and modelling at 16 as an ambassador for Givenchy. Doillon has been drawing since she was 10, her pen work can be seen on the cover of her album Lay Low and throughout her tour merchandise. The elegance and charisma of Lou Doillon perfectly embodies the spirit of Cartier making this campaign an obvious pairing.
Image via Pinterest
The Baignoire watch holds a significant place in Cartier's rich history of jewellery and watchmaking. It all began in 1912 when Cartier introduced a rectangular watch with rounded ends, evolving the concept until 1958 when the first curved oval-shaped watch was released. In 1973, the timepiece was officially named the Baignoire showcasing its distinctive features, a domed crystal, a dial of Roman numerals, and a smooth gold ribbon. Since then, the Baignoire watch has maintained its essence as it evolves with time, representing the Maison’s iconic style whilst giving a nod to the present day.
Lou Doillon’s admiration of the timepiece dates back to her 18th birthday when she received it as a gift from her mother, the legendary Jane Birkin. This week Cartier unveiled two new styles, both timeless yet modern and like Doillon, multifaceted. The first version embodies pure elegance with a "Less is More" approach, featuring a classic leather strap as well as the signature yellow gold bezel around the watch’s face. The second iteration deals away with leather altogether, replacing the patent strap with a solid gold bangle designed to be slipped seamlessly onto the wrist.
As a true testament to Cartier's design culture, these new Baignoire watches can be combined harmoniously with other iconic Cartier creations, allowing for endless possibilities of self-expression. “As Cartier was a jeweller before being a watchmaker, a Cartier watch blurs the boundaries between these two founding crafts and makes it possible to capture the best of both,” Marie-Laure Cérède, Creative Director of Jewellery and Watchmaking explains. The new mini Baignoire’s embody this perfectly, with their purity of lines, precision of form, and accuracy of proportions, they transform the realm of timekeeping and become an essential piece of jewellery worn for its own sake.
Advertisement
