Cartier’s sculptural Tressage collection welcomes four delightfully shaped watches (live pics)
Buffy Acacia- The Cartier Tressage collection has received its first four watch references.
- Artistically sculpting solid materials into braids, the Tressage showcases a unique approach to watch cases.
- The four models are powered by quartz movements, with two in yellow gold and two in diamond-set white gold.
Braiding and weaving have been essential to human culture for thousands of years, and it’s that tradition to which the Cartier Tressage collection pays tribute to. Introduced in 2023, the Tressage jewellery catalogue aims to mould solid materials like gold and stone into sculptural, fluid works, as if they were wrapped like chain or rope. Bringing watches into the collection for the first time, an elongated Tank-style has been adorned with large, flowing gadroons in a variety of colours and gem-set decoration.
Being known as the Watchmaker of Shapes, Cartier is dedicated to toying with geometry. But, to be truly balanced, Cartier doesn’t just stick to two-dimensional cases in its experimentations. You will see where the design for the Cartier Tressage watches comes from if you browse the collection of existing rings and bracelets. Gadrooning is a strange word for most, but it was once a relatively common decoration in ornamental furniture and crockery, based on repeating convex curves. That’s how the Cartier Tressage watch ends up with those croissant-shaped sides, bulging at each twist.
There are four references in this new collection, two in yellow gold and two in white gold. The plainest of the four is delightfully contrasting, with polished 18k yellow gold against a black lacquer dial and a black leather strap. The other yellow gold model has a “snow-set” dial with 156 brilliant-cut diamonds, and another 466 diamonds decorating alternating bands of the case’s gadroons. The white gold models are the most lavish, one with pavé diamonds covering the entire dial and case, and the other studded with blue sapphires in addition to the sparkling diamonds.
The watches themselves are powered by quartz movements and have no markings beyond the hour and minute hands, but telling the exact time is far away from the purpose of a watch like this. They’re 25.7mm wide and 56.2mm long, essentially turning the case into more of a cuff bracelet. A thickness of 11.5mm is what gives the case its grand, sculptural effect, as you can sense it in all dimensions. The leather straps are all made of supple calfskin, and are supplied with a traditional pin buckle in metal matching the case. The Cartier Tressage is far from typical watchmaking, but it’s also very distinct from most jewellery watches. I imagine it will have a fairly niche appeal, but it will definitely be eye-catching whenever it is worn.
Cartier Tressage watch collection price and availability
The Cartier Tressage collection is now available. Price: US$40,000 (yellow gold), US$75,500 (two-tone), US$122,000 (diamond-set white gold), US$134,000 (sapphire-set white gold)
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Tressage Watch |
| Case Dimensions | 25.7mm (W) x 11.5mm (T) x 56.2mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 18k yellow gold 18k white gold 18k yellow and white gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black lacquer or snow-set diamond pavé |
| Strap and bracelet | Beige, black, or blue calfskin leather strap |
| Movement | Swiss quartz |
| Power Reserve | N/A |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | US$40,000 (yellow gold) US$75,500 (two-tone) US$122,000 (diamond-set white gold) US$134,000 (sapphire-set white gold) |