Cartier Vendôme Trinity - Large model - c. 1990

A Cartier classic, not so classic after all

Description

The Vendôme is a true classic of the Maison. Its perfectly rounded, almost uninterrupted case recalls the purest expression of a watch’s form. The strap, attached to the case by delicate horizontal lugs, seems to barely hold the watch in place. The dial naturally features Cartier’s emblematic codes: a white background, Roman numerals and a railway-track minute scale.

And yet, from this seemingly classic watch, Cartier once again reveals its flair for originality. The use of the three-gold alloy, three cardinal values, already explored in the Trinity collection, adds an unexpected twist: pink gold for love, yellow gold for fidelity, and white gold for friendship.

Why did Françoise choose it?

Françoise places great trust in the Vendôme, which she often recommends to her clients. Like the Place that shares its name, the Cartier Vendôme evokes luxury and subtle refinement. It also offers a rare round-dial model within a Maison renowned for its shaped watches. Françoise has a particular fondness for the Trinity collection, both for what it represents and for the play of reflections it brings to jewellery.

With its 30 mm diameter, this watch suits both women’s and men’s wrists equally well.

History

As early as 1934, Louis Cartier patented a new method of attaching leather straps: on either side, a horizontal bar was fitted into a central loop fixed to the case. The Trinity range, based on the combination of white, yellow and pink gold to represent the three cardinal values defined by Louis Cartier, friendship, fidelity and love, was first introduced in jewellery in 1924, before being extended to other collections of the Maison.

The Cartier Vendôme was created around 1973 as a tribute to the Parisian square of the same name, a historic meeting place for jewellers and watchmakers. The two lugs are said to evoke the two streets leading to Place Vendôme: rue de la Paix and rue de Castiglione.