Artistic crafts

ARTISTIC CRAFTS

By introducing one of the last Master of Art glypticians to its teams and creating the Maison des Métiers d'Art in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Cartier is demonstrating its commitment to preserving and innovating in these age-old, endangered and infinitely precious techniques.

MAISON DES MÉTIERS D’ART

Preserve, innovate and share: Cartier is committed to promoting and passing on artistic craftsmanship. The Maison des Métiers d'Art was created in 2014 to achieve this aim. A melting pot where talents meet, interact and surpass one another, this project stems from Cartier's strong vision, which underscores its respect for tradition and determination to harness the power of these artistic crafts in a continuous quest for innovation.

GLYPTICS

Glyptics is the art of engraving and carving hard stones and fine materials. This artisanal technique has been championed since 2010 by one of the last masters of glyptic art, Philippe Nicolas. With its passion for precious stones and passing down traditions, Cartier is one of the few great jewellers to have this expertise in-house and pass it on to its apprentices.

WATCHMAKING

Three major families of expertise are applied to watchmaking: the art of fire, the art of metalwork and the art of composition. The art of fire encompasses enamel and its variations: cloisonné, champlevé, plique-à-jour and grisaille. The art of metalwork refers to granulation and filigree, a technique introduced to the Maison des Métiers d'Art in 2015 with a work composed of fine gold and platinum threads that required the creation of specific tools. Finally, marquetry - the art of composition - uses wood, straw, gold leaf and even flower petals to create dials.