Cartier is often regarded amongst collectors as the headliner of horological events like Watches and Wonders. Its launches boggle the mind and make wallets tremble with anticipation of one’s inevitable investment. This year, Cartier has unveiled multiple marvels, from reinterpretations of classics to brand-new feats of craftsmanship, but nothing has set jewellery-loving hearts racing quite like the Myst de Cartier and Baignoire.
It’s curvy, it’s angular, it’s a watch, it’s a bracelet… And it’s an enigma. The Myst de Cartier comes hot on the heels of a series of jewellery watches that, year on year, Cartier uses to build on its heritage – and exceed it. From the curves and swerves of last year’s Tressage de Cartier to 2024’s truly spectacular Reflection de Cartier, the Myst combines the sculptural qualities of its predecessors and adds a little more flexibility – both philosophically and literally. “The new Myst de Cartier watch is all about volume and movement,” Pierre Rainero – Director of Image, Style and Heritage at Cartier tells MOJEH. “Its design follows in the footsteps of the jewellery watches created under the direction of Jeanne Toussaint in the early 1930s – pieces that were both sculptural and flamboyant.”
In the yellow gold, diamond and black lacquer version, tiger stripes jump out from the piece’s ‘beads’, each one hand-painted by a single artisan at the Maison des Métiers d’Art, Cartier’s inner temple of expertise in Switzerland. And for the diamond version? Over nine carats of jewels sit pretty at this junction of jewellery and horology, in a wearable sculpture that carries an enigmatic air. It’s a mystery just begging to be solved.
Cartier further cements is jewellery savoir-faire with new Baignoire creations. The typically sleek timepiece is reinvented with a 1920s pressed-and-polished hobnail pattern adorning its bracelet and face. For those seeking something a little extra, the diamond version punctuates the peaks with 171 brilliant-cut diamonds and a snow-set dial. Subtlety? No, thanks. Learn more
