From Time Immemorial: Cartier is fuelling our obsession with tiny watches
While statement timepieces have historically been some of the most indulgent pieces in our closets, time and place dictate just how loud and large these watches should be—and lately, we have found ourselves reaching for pieces that are minuscule and dainty.
Far be it from a trend—tiny watches are a certified style statement. They’ve long been employed as a gentle tool to push past audacious silhouettes that scream loud luxury. After all, is there anything more chic than a sleeve rolled back to reveal a tiny timepiece—something luxurious that is designed to be worn for the everyday? These are styling cues that we pull from the greats: Lady Diana was a notable fan of her mini Tank Louis, as has been Jeff Goldblum with his mini Tank Solo. Bringing the style into the 21st Century is more avant-garde style icons; Tyler The Creator and Rami Malek are notable names to embrace the trend, suggesting that beyond gender, tiny watches are forever.
It’s clear then that the diminutive and subtle charm of Cartier’s mini watches is both luxurious and enduring, where heritage styles have been rethought and adjusted to the millimetre to achieve the ideal balance. Holding a very special space in the Maison’s watchmaking repertoire, this resurgence of the smaller moments is a pivotal turning point: one that nods to comfort and practicality and, dare we say it, is a decidedly demure approach.
These thoughtful pieces are part of the larger family, which includes unmissable iterations of the mini Tank Louis Cartier, the mini Tank Américaine, the mini Baignoire, and the mini Panthère de Cartier, alongside a highly coveted small Tortue model from 1922. It is indeed true that the best things come in small packages as here, as always, Cartier plays with proportion, experimenting between moderation and excess, and proves yet again that they are true masters of their craft.
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