Cartier Bath. history of a watchmaking icon

The quest began in 1911 with the invention of a wristwatch for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, a square with rounded corners marked by visible screws, a style that has lasted decades without losing its relevance. It continued in 1912 with the launch of the Tortue watch, which quickly became a success, and the Bain watch signed by Louis Cartier. Focused on elegance and finesse, this model plays, depending on the era, on its proportions and finishes to better reinvent itself.

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For this watch, which did not yet bear the name Bathtub, the house of Cartier originally envisioned a rectangle with rounded edges. The design evolved by 1958 with the so-called “curved oval” model, with a slightly curved case designed to hug the curve of the wrist as closely as possible. Already displaying its signature elements, from the domed crystal to the Roman numerals stamped on the dial, past the smooth gold band accenting its shape, this watch would adopt its current name in 1973.

In the video, Rami Malik crosses paths with Catherine Deneuve in the latest Cartier ad

XXL version

Since its creation, this feminine essence has had many interpretations. The swinging London 1960s in particular produced an enlarged version of his oval, all vertical and redundant, produced in home workshops across the channel. This elongated bath is once again attracting attention in 2019 with a gold frame studded with spikes and illuminated with diamonds.

A modern icon

This year, the Colombier returns in an irresistible dial format, both small and more generous, mounted either on a very couture black patent leather strap or on a sensuous yellow gold bracelet whose shape echoes the shape of the case. An aesthetic epitomized by Lou Doillon, a modern ambassador by the names of Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider and Catherine Deneuve, who have worn it so well in their time.