With Cartier Tradition, the house does not limit itself to archiving heirlooms and is putting up for sale some of its prized treasures from the past. But how to survive in a second-hand market that is more powerful and diverse than ever?
If Cartier announced last year that the boutique on rue Saint-Honore will now also offer its customers a selection of antique watches, then the imitation of a jeweler is not new for the brand. Often highlighted at Cartier highlights, the collection of tradition, however, takes on a new flavor this season in the face of the vintage fever that may soon dominate the new market.
And in the used jewelry game, it’s really Cartier that is consistently in the top three of the most famous auction houses (Christie’s, Sotheby’s, or Artcurial, to name just a few). With 1980s elegance already reaching records and investors already eyeing designs from the 1990s, how is Cartier positioning itself to promote its own collection?
past found
“We are fully aware that we are not the only ones in this segment,” emphasizes Pierre Rainero, Director of Heritage, Image and Style of the House of Cartier. “Our aim with Cartier Tradition remains to represent the different stylistic currents that have shaped the house’s history, rather than to accumulate value,” he continues. However, how to organize the curation of such a project? Internally, the process is well established. Both Pierre Rainero, the curator, and the various players in the Tradition Department meet regularly to discuss the interest in adding a particular brooch or bracelet to the collection. Their eyes are always on the price monitoring chart, which the team has patiently created and updated over time, and especially in recent years with secondary growth. After being authenticated and verified by in-house experts, this same gem certainly sees its price increase, but in a few months it can be seen again under the heritage banner as another more iconic piece of this current hits the market.
But if the exercise can seem easier on the iconic pieces of the Art Deco years or a symbol of glamour 70’sHow do you maintain the perspective needed to measure pieces created barely thirty years ago? “We always told ourselves that we didn’t have the title to become a museum,” adds Pierre Rainero. Of course, we have our opinion on what might be interesting, but our perspective can change, especially mine, which saw the birth of many of these jewels. So we remain humble and will always consult with experts outside the brand.” While we await future acquisitions to be sold to customers who have come to admire Cartier’s new fine jewelry treasures in Madrid, christened Beauties of the World, the brand’s focus remains on the current site of the iconic boutique at 13 rue de the 13. peace. If we still know little about this much-anticipated reopening, which is scheduled for autumn, it is already certain that fragments of the history of the Cartier Tradition will be proud there. This is enough to maintain and promote the interest of Cartier’s historical customers internally, rather than seeing them create desires elsewhere.
Source: Le Figaro
