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[Oceanklassik]

For Cartier fans - "Festival Of Watches"

The best of Cartier on show

Cartier's Time Art exhibition in Singapore will highlight the Swiss watchmaker's historical treasures and mystery clocks of the rich and famous

- by timmy tan



Luxury brand Cartier will stage its largest timepiece exhibition at the ArtScience Museum in Marina Bay Sands on Dec 14. Some of these exhibits were first showcased at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) annual watch fair in Geneva this year and subsequently at Museum Bellerive in Zurich, Switzerland.

Singapore is the first international stop for Cartier's Time Art exhibition, after which it will move to other cities in North Asia.

"Time Art is a major Cartier exhibition that tours the best museums in the world and this is the first time it is travelling out of Switzerland," says Mr Christopher Kilaniotis, regional managing director of Cartier.

"On show will be Cartier's historically significant pieces, each having a story to tell. These relate to how they were created and who their owners were. "For example, there are stories to share of famous maharajahs and opera singers who once owned Cartier timepieces. "This exhibition is almost like a time travel machine that discovers Cartier's creativity and how the iconic shapes and movements of its timepieces have evolved."

A walk back in time

Cartier, which began with jewellery in 1847, started its watch-making history six years after Mr Louis-Francois Cartier founded the company. The very first Cartier timepieces were made in 1853 as recorded in its archives.

In 1888, Cartier made its first wristwatches for women. Cartier's first wristwatch for men came a quarter of a century later - in 1904 - when a wristwatch was conceived for pioneer aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont.

Commercial production for this watch, aptly named the Santos watch, commenced only in 1911 and by then, there was already the Tonneau wristwatch. What followed was another famous timepiece - the Tank watch in 1917. What is noteworthy is that all three iconic models - the Santos, Tonneau and Tank wristwatches - were all initially made for men. These early pieces will be on exhibition.

Other fascinating models are the Basculante - a watch with a reversible case that was created in 1932 - and the unforgettable Crash watch of 1967. Also of interest is Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka's involvement in the Cartier Time Art exhibition. Famed for his research that has led to innovative creations such as the Honey-Pop paper chair and the Pane chair, Mr Yoshioka will harness technology complemented by the use of time and space to visually showcase Cartier's watchmaking expertise.

Mystery clocks



One key theme will be Cartier's mystery clocks. They are named as such because of their characteristic mysterious hour and minute hands which seem to "float" on transparent rock crystal dials without any visible connection to mechanical movements.

"This is where the public can view first-hand what a mystery clock is, how it is powered and to experience the illusion of the floating hands," says Mr Kilaniotis.

"We have gathered together the largest collection of mystery clocks under one roof. It is extremely rare to see so many together. Bear in mind all are unique pieces as they were typically commissioned works."

American banker John Pierpont Morgan (J.P. Morgan) was one of the first owners of the initial production of a mystery clock made in 1912, which was known simply as Model A. At the exhibition, you can also look out for a mystery clock with a royal insignia on it. That once belonged to Queen Eugenia of Spain. One of the most elaborate is the "Elephant mystery clock which used materials such as jade, coral, crystal, mother-of-pearl and rose-cut diamonds. Featuring a pagoda atop an elephant, it was made in 1928 and was owned by the Maharajah of Nawanagar, a state in India.

Such timepieces bear witness to Cartier's high-profile clientele of kings, queens and wealthy nobles and industrialists.

"Most of the clocks have a great history and provenance. "While many others can produce clocks, few will be able to create unique, one-off mystery clocks that are linked to the brand's DNA," says Mr Kilaniotis, adding that mystery clocks are still being made by Cartier.

The prices of mystery clocks begin from half a million dollars, and the final price depends on the level of customisation required. Over the past decade, Cartier has made giant strides in watch-making and this exhibition is the place to view its contemporary collections as well. Not only will Cartier display its modern fine watch-making collection, it will also reveal more of its in-house movements.

ID One concept watch



Fans of Cartier should not miss the opportunity to have a first-hand encounter with the brand's ID One concept watch. It may be a concept piece but it has lent its DNA to another Cartier watch, the Rotonde de Cartier Astroregulator watch.

This is because the niobium-titanium material first used in the watchcase of the ID One concept watch is now made for the commercial production Astroregulator, of which there will only be 50 examples.

"This exhibition is not just for watch collectors. It is about Cartier's historical treasures and art," says Mr Kilaniotis. "Our fine watch-making is based on our heritage and we are fortunate to have a great patrimony. We look forward to sharing this patrimony and the many great stories and innovations with visitors to the exhibition."

( .. see you guys there )