statement, says one, a luxury watch
is "it."
Considering that nowadays almost
everyone old enough to tell time
wears one, it may come as a surprise
to learn that the wristwatch is a
comparatively recent invention.
French jeweler Louis Cartier created
the first modern wristwatch in 1904
for his friend, Alberto Santos-
Dumont, a flamboyant Brazilian
aviator. Santos-Dumont had
complained (understandably enough)
that it was clumsy "to pull one's watch
from one's waistcoat pocket while
holding the controls of a dirigible. . ."
Cartier's response was to create the
Santos-Dumont watch, a small piece
fastened to the wrist by a simple
leather strap.
Cartier's innovations didn't stop
there. In 1910, he designed the
famous "deployant" buckle, a folding
clasp which snaps the watch to the
wrist: in 1917, he created the first thin
wristwatch, the "Tank," as a tribute to
the American Tank Corps that aided
in the defense of France during World
War 1; and in 1933, he created the first
water-resistant watch as a special
commission from the Pasha of Marra-
kech who wanted a timepiece he
could wear while bathing.
Today, the Cartier company
continues to make a contemporary
version of the "Santos," the "Tank"
and the "Pasha," in addition to other
styles such as the "Cougar," the
"Panther" and "21." The styles, from
sporty to classic, appeal to specific
audiences.
The "21" watch, for example, is a
casual "weekend watch" for the
younger man, with a "more
affordable" (than other Cartier
watches) price range of $975 to
$1,400, according to Julie Busher, a
spokesperson in Cartier's New York
City headquarters. Like other watch
companies, Cartier offers each style
in a few variations; price is
determined by type of metal used
and features included.
The square-faced "Panther," a
classic that appeals to businessmen,
ranges from $2,800 for a steel-and-
gold bracelet to $13,500 for an I 8K-
gold bracelet. Cartier's top-of-the-line
"Pasha" costs $7,700 for the one-
time-zone version with a plain bezel
and a leather strap; $29,500 for the
three-time-zone version. Ms. Busher
says the "Pasha" is popular with
"modern-day entrepreneurs."
As exclusive as the Cartier name
sounds, though, it is only one player
in the luxury watch field. There are
approximately 20 companies in the
upper end field, names like Gerald
Genta and Patek Philippe. Each watch
in this category has something
special. Gerald Genta, for example,
was a watchmaker for other
companies. Now he is creating his
own line and works only in 18K gold
or bronze. He is known for his "grand
complications," such as different time
zones, alarms, and moon phases.
One of the reasons an expensive
watch is so expensive is that it can
take up to two years to make an
individual timepiece. Usually, only
Cartier's top-of-the-line
"Pasha" in 18K gold has a
perpetual calendar and
minute repeater, $140,000.
Patek Philippe, reportedly
the watch of choice among
British royalty, is in 18K
gold with a perpetual
calendar, $35,500. Coins
from Abbott's-Coinex
Corporation. The coins are
silver dollars, Liberty head
or Morgan type, from
1878-1921. The gold coins
are United States bullion
coins.
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