Luxury house CARTIER unveiled its new Baignoire Watch Collection with a campaign featuring multi-talented artist, and daughter of the late Jane Birkin, Lou Doillon captured by fashion photographer Jacob Sutton. In charge of styling was Marine Braunschvig, with beauty from hair stylist Alexandry Costa, and makeup artist Hugo Villard.
Cartier has been a part of both my family and me for a long time. To celebrate love and special occasions! For my eighteenth birthday, my mother gave me a Baignoire watch. Cartier, the elegance and chic of the sapphire, the sobriety of the dial, the timelessness of the form. – Lou Doillon
The Baignoire watch is an important part of Cartier‘s classic watchmaking style. It evolved from a rectangular casing with rounded ends in 1912 to its distinctive “curved oval” shape in 1958, meant to beautifully suit the contour of the wrist. In 1973, this model was renamed the Baignoire, and it has kept its characteristic features ever since: a domed crystal, a dial with Roman numerals, and a smooth gold ribbon.
The Baignoire watch has appeared in several variations over the years, each highlighting its distinct and unsurpassed shape. Cartier has just produced new models that play with proportions, while miniaturizing and intensifying the core of the watch. A bangle-like design inspired by an extended gadroon now encircles the delicate gold dial on a small case, creating an exquisite and important piece of jewelry.
As Cartier was a jeweller before being a watchmaker, a Cartier watch blurs the boundaries between these two founding crafts and makes it possible to capture the best of both. This combination has resulted in the sleek and sophisticated design of the mini Baignoire. The combination of a beaded bracelet with a pure line and a miniature dial without any attributes gives this aesthetic reference to our heritage a sublime touch. The mini Baignoire becomes a piece of jewellery. – Marie-Laure Cérède, Creative Director Of Jewellery And Watchmaking
The Baignoire watch, with its timeless appeal, is now available in two new versions. The first features a delicate black patent leather strap that contrasts well with the yellow gold sheen of its bezel, emphasizing absolute beauty with a “Less is More” attitude. The second iteration turns the iconic oval into a bangle, a circle of solar gold paved with brilliance and available in rose, yellow, or white gold. This version emanates even more sensuality when worn close to the wrist and may be readily matched with other legendary Cartier jewels.
Cartier’s artistry combines jeweler and watchmaker skills, pushing creative boundaries with curiosity and amazement. The watch not only tells time but also enters a new universe of artifacts that are more than just ornamentation. These clocks redefine savoir-faire by combining skill and aesthetics to reach perfection in both areas.
Cartier’s favorite material is gold, which is particularly malleable and dazzling, and it shines in the Baignoire watch with small dials and beautiful bands. The Baignoire watch, like the Panthère de Cartier watch, has evolved into a classic jewelry timepiece, exuding enchantment and elegance in every detail.
