Cartier

Since 1868, when the first mention of a “pen holder” is noted in its archives, Cartier has been designing some of the world’s most creative and technically advanced writing instruments and accessories. Pen holders of jasper or platinum, dip pens in gold or tortoiseshell set with diamonds, mechanical pencils decorated with enamel or set with a cabochon, each piece beautifully combined technical innovation with creative panache. And the result is an impressive repertoire that weaves the story of Cartier’s history as a world-renowned jeweler into the broader fabric of the history of writing instruments and accessories. Although functional, these writing accessories were no less precious than jewelry. And by putting his jeweler’s talent at the service of writing implements in the 1860s, Louis Cartier thus adopted a tradition thousands of years old: the tradition of communicating via the written word.

The Baron de Rothschild, J. P. Morgan, Mona Bismarck, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Rudyard Kipling are among the distinguished clients who wrote with magnificent Cartier pens and pencils. Two entries in a Cartier sales ledger shed further light on the products and clientele from over a century ago. One entry is dated May 5, 1904, and notes the purchase of a mechanical pencil in fluted white gold set with a cabochon sapphire. The other entry, dated December 18, 1905, notes the purchase of two items: a dip pen in enamel and tortoiseshell, and a matching pen stand. These three objects were purchased by Lady Almina Carnarvon, who had previously purchased several jewelry pieces from the House of Cartier. The products favored by such high-profile individuals speak to the company’s ability to captivate the refined tastes of a discerning clientele. During the 1920s, a variety of exquisite pens and pen holders were introduced. In addition to their rare beauty, they continued to set standards of innovation. A variety of multi-function items were introduced, including watch and pen combination pieces, pencil/calendar combinations, and a writing instrument with an integral lighter. Throughout the subsequent decades, Cartier writing instruments and accessories continue to exhibit aesthetic perfection and technical audacity.

Today, Cartier strikes a balance between modern technology, fine craftsmanship and a tradition based on over 150 years of experience in designing jewelry, watches and fine objects d’art. Cartier writing instrument are inspired by original Louis Cartier designs adapted to contemporary lifestyles. Thus, the company continues to express distinction and refinement in rendering an everyday object into a fine object d’art. Cartier presents a comprehensive writing instrument collection that celebrates the fine tradition of the handwritten word. Perhaps one of the most personal accessories, writing instruments mark rites of passage—a graduation, promotion or simply an opportunity to bestow a cherished gift meant to be handed down through the generations. Technologically unparalleled and immediately recognizable, the Cartier collection reveals the pleasure and art of writing as a most prestigious experience.

The Louis Cartier collection, introduced in 1995, comprises pens of unrivaled design, crafted in precious metals—including platinum—and embellished with precious gems. The Diabolo® collection, launched in 1997, encompasses innovative pens of luminous composite or metal with complementary Art Deco-style appointments; available in a variety of modes (fountain pen, ballpoint and rollerball pens and mechanical pencil), the collection is a contemporary classic that appeals to a young, urban clientele. In 2006 a Mini Diabolo, with all the attributes of the full-size Diabolo, was introduced. Perfect for pocket or purse, the pen was introduced in pink lacquer.

The Must collection offers pens of simplicity and elegance that remain timeless and fashionable. First introduced over twenty years ago, the collection comprises metal and lacquer pens in a variety of modes, including a fountain pen and ballpoint. The Trinity® collection, in lacquer or metal, displays Cartier’s classic three gold-ring design that symbolizing love, fidelity and friendship. Each pen is embellished with a ring of yellow gold, one of white gold and another of pink gold.

The Santos® collection pays tribute to the friendship of Louis Cartier and the renowned Brazilian pilot Santos Dumond. It has a vertical godron and screw motif, and is available in a variety of modes. The Pasha® collection, which is a modern and masculine interpretation that embodies the classic, Cartier attributes: powerful aesthetics, noble materials and luxury finishes. Cartier is now designing pens for the third millennium, demonstrating that “nothing can be created without a sense of heritage, tradition and collective memory,” according to François Chaille in Cartier Creative Writing. “In these days of email and the Internet, the company is spectacularly defending the right to experience the delight of writing by hand.”

Thus, in 2005, Cartier introduced the Panthère de Cartier Exceptional Fountain Pen as part of The Menagerie Signed by Cartier. The pen’s unique shape is hefty and sleek and is the result of numerous hours of an artisan’s precise craftsmanship. The panther-shaped body of the pen is sterling silver plated with rhodium, and the cat’s piercing eyes are green spinels; the muzzle is onyx.

In 2006, another Exceptional pen, the Crocodile fountain pen, was introduced as part of the Crocodile de Cartier collection. Two crocodiles are coiled around the pen, raised on the surface “like a second skin.” The pen is plated in gold and is embellished with peridot and citrine cabochons. The Louis Cartier Python collection also made its debut.

Mini ballpoints for women were introduced earlier in the year in pink, white or blue—each with platinum-finished accents and a charm dangling from
the crown.

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