WORLDTEMPUS - 19 May 2010
Elizabeth Doerr
Cartier's newest factory location in the new horological quarter of Crêt du Locle and completed in 2005 almost completely replaces a total of six previous manufacturing sites. Where a Cartier watch might previously have traveled something like 170 physical kilometers before being completed, including a trip to Fribourg, it now may not even leave the new factory at all before it is delivered. This beautiful building seeming to consist solely of glass panes has, however, remained fairly closed to the curious eyes of journalists—until the advent of ID One: Cartier's concept watch gave the Richemont flagship brand the chance to show off its state-of-the-art facility for the first time.
The new building measuring more than 30,000 square meters unites 175 different crafts under one roof. The more than 1,000 employees manning the various stations ranging from CNC technology through chemical hand bluing and mineral crystal production all the way to movement finishing, skeletonizing, and even enameling come from a total of 37 countries. This includes Cartier's head movement designer, Carole Forestier-Gaspari, a talented engineer now in charge of Cartier Manufacture's innovative technical designs. Her office is found in the factory's “think tank,” which is not far from the “studio” area, where every Wednesday employees from the marketing and creation departments meet to brainstorm and discuss between 150 and 200 new horological projects that Cartier carries out simultaneously, including special orders, evolutions of existing models, new sizing for standing watches, and new technologies and materials.
This is all quite impressive, but even more so is perhaps the carefully thought-out organizational planning of the factory, which would seem almost industrial to the casual observer if it weren't for the very clean and at times artsy feel to the rooms. What leaves perhaps the most lasting impression is the grid setup of the component manufacture, which includes both mechanical and quartz movements, arranged according to component, production step, and caliber. This style of organization is doubtlessly unique to Cartier.
A luxury product is the sum of all its detailed parts. And it's no wonder that Cartier's products are so detailed in their aesthetics and—now—technology. They represent no less than the sum of their factory's well-oiled and perfectly organized parts.
