The incredible stories behind Cartier’s most iconic watches

From the Tank to the Ballon Bleu, Cartier has shaped the history of watchmaking. Here’s a look at the origin stories, celebrity fans and movie credits behind four of the house’s iconic timepieces.   

With its sleek and assured shape, Cartier’s Ballon Bleu is perfect for both everyday and exceptional events. Justin Bieber rocked his white-gold edition out in Calabasas, California, with a Supreme baseball jersey and ripped jeans, while Kate Middleton has worn her steel version (a third-anniversary gift from her husband, Prince William) to receptions and Wimbledon with tailored suits and tea dresses.

The versatile timepiece was launched in 2007, and quickly became one of the house’s best sellers. Its round and convex casing, dignified Roman numbers and enclosed blue cabochon crown are immediately recognizable to watch fans the world over. And with scores of models available — in steel, white, yellow or pink gold, with or without diamonds, and multiple bracelet options — there’s something for everyone and every occasion.

Including the red carpet: A dazzling iteration features a “trembling setting,” in which 123 vibrant brilliant-cut diamonds on the dial scintillate when they move.

More than a century after it was created, the Santos de Cartier remains top flight. The first modern wristwatch was developed in 1904 by Louis Cartier for his friend, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, after the latter complained he had trouble checking the time on his pocket watch while flying.

Practical and adventurous, it featured exposed screws on a square bezel. Cartier frequently reengineers its references, introducing in 2020 three mechanical Santos-Dumont XL models in different metals.

Continuing full throttle, the company added four limited-edition Santos-Dumont watches named after his aircraft: Le Brésil, with its ruby winding crown and platinum case; La Baladeuse, in yellow gold with blue hands and a green alligator strap; the N014 bis, with a gold bezel on a steel case; and La Demoiselle, in platinum with a ruby cabochon, Panama-weave and alligator straps and a keepsake box.

Sky’s the limit.

Cartier since 1914, when the house’s then-director of bags, accessories and objects, Jeanne Toussaint, designed her first feline wristwatch.

Spotted like her panther fur coat, the timepiece was studded with diamonds and onyx stones. Through the decades, the animal motif reappeared on watches, jewelry and accessories, but it wasn’t until 1983 that the maison unveiled its Panthère de Cartier line of quartz jewelry watches. With slinky gold-link bracelets and rounded-corner square cases, they fit perfectly into the glamorous “Dynasty” decade.

Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jane Fonda, Pierce Brosnan and Keith Richards were photographed in their iconic Panthères, and Charlie Sheen’s stockbroker character Bud Fox in “Wall Street” invested in a gold one when he started making money. Forever evolving, today’s collection features dozens of models, including mixed metal, double- and triple-loop, cuff, patterned lacquer and diamond-encrusted styles.

Absolutely fierce.

One of the most popular and enduringly elegant watches of all time, the Cartier Tank is always right. Beloved by both men and women, it has been worn by a pantheon of tastemakers, from Steve McQueen and Muhammad Ali to Kanye West, along with Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama. Andy Warhol once remarked, “I wear a Tank watch because it’s the watch to wear.”

Created in 1917 by Louis Cartier, the precise design was inspired by the top view of a tank, with a rail track minute counter, Roman numerals and a blue cabochon. That purity of line lends itself to myriad iterations. Today, variations include the Tank Louis Cartier (irresistible in pink gold with diamond sidebars); the Tank Française (with its seamless chain-link bracelet); the Tank Américaine (boldly elongated in steel) and the Tank Cintrée (its slim, curved case hugs the wrist).

There’s endless temptation for Tank enthusiasts.

All at London Jewelers, 2046 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, LI