Cartier d’Art explores an age-old decorative techniqueSIHH 2013: Rotonde de Cartier 42 mm watch, panther with granulation
With its strong curiosity about the world and its wonders, this year Cartier has developed a passion for a goldsmith’s technique born in the cradle of civilisation: granulation. The reinterpretation of this millennia-old artistic craft is part of a desire to bring rare, sometimes forgotten crafts back to life, which Cartier adapts and renders even more beautiful.
With granulation, Cartier d’Art takes a fresh look at a precious technique that dates from the first half of the 3rd millennium B.C. This highly sophisticated aesthetic reached its peak during the first millennium in Etruria with the famous period objects in “Etruscan granulation”. A veritable seedbed of gold granules, the granulation technique consists of creating small balls from threads of gold that are cut and then heated over a flame. The gold granules are then assembled one by one and fused with the gold plate in order to create the sensual relief of the motif.
The result is captivating: a magnetic, radiant panther head gleams on the watch dial... A fine example of age-old craftsmanship that has been passed down the ages, the cat appears to defy the passing of time, bearing a secret of which Cartier has become the guardian.