Cartier has unveiled its new Baignoire de Cartier collection, with French socialite and artist Lou Doillon starring in the elegant campaign.
The watch was first created in 1973, featuring its signature details: a domed crystal, a dial with Roman numerals and a smooth gold ribbon.
Through the years, there have been several iterations of the classic model, while remaining true to the original ethos of the 1973 creation. The latest collection includes 11 timepieces each connected to the original model.
Discussing the new creation, Marie-Laure Cerede the creative director of jewellery and watch making at Cartier said: “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. This combination has resulted in the sleek and sophisticated design of the mini Baignoire. The combination of a beaded bracelet with a pure line and a miniature dial without any attributes gives this aesthetic reference to our heritage a sublime touch. The mini Baignoire becomes a piece of jewellery. ”
So what is new with the latest rebirth of the Baignoire? Primarily through the ratios – in this version, the balance has been reversed. “The Baignoire is both miniaturised and amplified. On a miniature case, the bangle, like a gadroon that has been expanded, encircles the delicate dial in gold. Purity of line, precision of form, accuracy of proportion: it is worn as a piece of jewellery and just for the sake of it – simply because it is essential,” explains the house.
There are also two completely new versions with the latest collection. The first, the house says, “celebrates pure elegance, with a ‘Less is More’ approach”. The watch includes a yellow gold bezel contrasting with a black patent leather strap.
The second totally new timepiece is one in which the watch’s emblematic oval has been transformed into a bangle, a circle of gold. This couture-esque version is available in rose, yellow or white gold.
On her new partnership with Cartier, Lou Doillon also reflected on her longtime admiration of the historic French watch house: “Cartier has been a part of both my family and me for a long time. To celebrate love and special occasions. For my eighteenth birthday, my mother gave me a Baignoire watch. Cartier, the elegance and chic of the sapphire, the sobriety of the dial, the timelessness of the form,” she said.
