Chapter 11: Developing and managing products

      Throughout the years, the Maison Cartier has established a highly respected name for itself in the world arena as one of the best watch makers in the world. In 1904, Cartier made the world's first men's wrist watch, introducing a new product into the world arena , creating an entirely new market. However, Cartier did not make the first watch. Before the creation of the men's wrist watch, men carried pocket watches. The company Vacheron Constantin was founded in 1755 in Geneva by skilled watch makers who gained instant attention due to their skills at watchmaking, making exquisite pocket watches. By the time Cartier was established, Vacheron Constantin was already well known and respected for their watchmaking skills. Although Cartier is a pioneer of modern watchmaking, some of the artistic techniques used by the maison were adopted from their rival watchmakers such  Vacheron Constantin and perfected, adding their own stylistic signatures. With the passage of time, Cartier gained respected for itself as a pioneer in watchmaking, creating new and innovating ways to incorporate ancient artistic methods into their watches.

     As a pioneer for more than 160 years , Cartier has always kept the artistic crafts at the heart of everything it creates. In attempt to preserve and bring together rare expertise, Cartier set forth on an ambitious project called the Maison des Metriers d'Art whose mission is to pioneer, bring together, and preserve rare expertise. Cartier's Metriers d'Art, which translates into artistic crafts, is the maison's attempt to establish an environment conductive to further innovation of watchmaking techniques. The building was originally a combination of home and workshop created from a Bernese-style farm dating back to the end of the 18th century, located in La Chaux-de-Fonds,  Switzerland in "The Watch Valley", which covers the entire Swiss Jura Arc, from Geneva to Basel, and is know to be the primary location of the Swiss watchmaking industry. The creation of the Maison des Metiers d'Art represents a pioneering act with which Cartier takes up the challenge of enhancing tradition and adjusting these expert practices to the modern world. 

      It was restored over a three-year period, receiving an infusion of modern technology and electrical systems while retaining original details, including most of the façade, limestone fireplaces, stone or wood floors, wood beams and even an original wall clock from 1849, made in the area. The building incorporates both offices and workshop studios on several levels, where 50 people, including 35 craftsmen, work. The spaces are lit by a wall of windows positioned on one side of the building, flooding the studios with natural light and opening up the view of the Jura mountains beyond. Half the company’s high jewelry watches will now be made here, with the other half made in Paris. Other crafts performed here include enameling, sculpting, marquetry, goldsmithing and miniature painting. As the new headquarters of Cartier’s dedication to creativity in watchmaking, the Maison des Metiers d’Arts stands as a promise of more great things to come.  The snug atmosphere of the Maison des Métiers d’Art evokes a beehive, with periods of great concentration,exchanges about traditional techniques and the development of specific tools. This is how forgotten expertise is rediscovered and the craftsmen work hard to understand its secrets and further develop it. Very recently, granulation and grisaille gold paste enamel were added to the craftsmen’s range of skills with two spectacular creations boasting both aesthetic and technical excellence.

Exterior of the Maison des Metriers d'Art 

first floor of the Maison des Metriers d'Art 

work station inside the Maison des Metriers d'Art 

the ground floor of the Maison des Metriers d'Art 

     The initial stage of product is the sketch, the creation, and the design of the piece to be created. Watch companies hire a designer who attends meetings with the managers as to understand what objectives are excepted to be met as well as to hear the general theme that the watch should be centered around. These business briefs also provide some rules for the designer in order to make their assignment clear, which allows the designer to make a list of the constraints such as materials, water resistance, thickness, and size in order to become familiar with his limitations after which, he can let his imagination go wild. In essence, this is the most creative step of the manufacturing process during  which the product idea is born. The artist, thinks about what he heard at the meetings with the managers, the key words that kept coming up, what movements should be used, what the displays should look like, how is the case going to be built and dismantled, taking in account every further aspect of the manufacturing process. By the time the artist presents his work, the entire construction of the piece is already in place. These sketches serve as blueprints for the creation of the final product.

the artist's sketch

the artist's sketch of the movement

     The artist's blueprints are then passed on to the case maker who makes the watch cases. The work starts with the designers plans which are artistic drawings or freehand drawings from which the case maker has to produce the part for manufacturing. The limitations are mostly to do with scale, they start with certain indications such as the space between the horns and the thickness from which an approximate scale can be set for the drawing, after which the craftsman can start the drawing and designing in 3d. These blueprints are transferred over into a  computerized system that creates a virtual model of the design in which the case maker can chose which  side is to be the face, designing the desired shape. From the volume plane of the figure, the case maker forms a 3 dimensional extrusion. The maker chooses the shape he wants to extrude and the direction they want to go in, giving the artist the first 3d volume to work on and developed. For the design of the case middle, the first step involves extrusion, enabling the creation of the shell of the part, something that is rather close to the design. From there, function by function, the science of the part is extruded, and slowly function by function the model is built up, forming the different shapes of the part end the maker ends up with the piece that has the design that was chosen as is technically complete. Once the case middle is drawn,  the assembly is then virtually created containing all the parts, the crown the crystal, the movement, the hands and the crystal case back. From here, the file is sent to one of Cartier's subcontractors who produce stereo lithographs which are little wax models in order for the case maker to examine but also touch the part he created. The craftsman then checks that everything fits together and there are no problems, that it is water resistant and that it looks good. The product has to be neat, attractive, and technically perfect.

the artist's freehand drawing

computerized 3d model of the watch case

prototype of the watch case

the artist's designs

      Aside from the design of the case, the movement must also be designed. When working on something new, the first phase is called the feasibility study at which point anything is possible. The movement designer is given a theme to work on, but other then that, there are no boundaries and very few limits. This avoids blocking new ideas. However limiting factors include the complexity of what is to be designed. This is also completed on a virtual application. Most case designers are people with imagination and curiosity which is what enables them to do this type of work. Imagination and ability to see what the mechanism could be like are the qualities expected from a designer. Watch making is a relatively old profession that has a strong element of craftsmanship, but there is always room to improve and make new movements and existing movements are always being adapted to a new watch or a new size. The question is always what the watch has to show, a date is just a date but there are variations in which you can show it to the client which requires the invention of new mechanisms. Today new possibilities are becoming available thanks to new production methods. The possibilities in a modern world are greater the technologies available in manufacturing. All mechanics are virtually drawn to see how they would operate to simulate the movement and operation for the movement designer. A prototype builder receives the components from the movement designer and starts assembling the watch during which, sometimes he has to stop and tell the designer that there is a problem. The prototype builder and the movement designer need one another to solve problems and create a finished product as what works virtually on the screen maybe not always work in reality when put together. The designer imagines a mechanism that is original and gradually bring it into existence, then when the prototype builder creates it, a watch is born. 

The design of a movement on a computerized program

computerized display of how the movement should work

a prototype watch maker assembling the movement

the movement planned in the computerized program

     The prototype watch maker tests the first components of new movement after development. After it's been designed on the computer, each part of the movement is tested to make sure it works.  Although the computer is very helpful, it doesn't take account of certain parameters including the strength of the springs, clearances, and the tolerance in manufactured pieces. The job of the prototype builder is to make sure the parts are reliable and  are as easy to assemble as possible which may involve creating access to certain screws in a movement. Strictly speaking, there aren't ever any errors in construction, but when several bridges are overplayed, sometimes it is necessary to make an opening to reach a part and check it. This is a watchmaker's point of view, something the constructors haven't thought about. A prototype builder sees a wide range of projects, the less complicated ones start with a power reserve which tasked several weeks to test. Some are much more complicated with 160 components just for the carriage, which is a moving part. The complete movement has more than 300 components, the time required depends upon the complexity of the piece. A prototype builder must be patient, careful, and confident with their work, working step by step. After creating a successful prototype, the screening process is complete and the prototype can move onto the next steps of the manufacturing process. The key point in developing a movement is the way it is to be finished. In the chronograph, its important to see all the different stages so when a customer presses the push button and the function starts, you can see what is happening in the movement. Since all the parts are visible, they must have the highest possible level of finishing. One very difficult area is the beveled inside corner, getting it really sharp and neat is the highest level of finishing in watch making which not everyone is able to do.  Decorators all have patience. Its about pride and passion which makes a difference in the watch.

     After the finishing process is complete, the product moves onto the assembling of the movement process , which  fits together all the manufactured and machine components that go into a watch. It starts with a kit that contains all the parts needed for the movement to function correctly. These parts include plates, bridges, gear trains, barrels, springs and etc. The assembly of a complicated watch by a watch maker  or a master watch maker is very different. The watch maker has to adjust each of the functions and make sure they all operate perfectly by manually adjusting them. When working in sequence operations, the assembly operations are shared out. The whole team is trained in all the stages of the assembly.

assembly of the movement

adding the finishing touches to the movement

      The dial maker is the person who produces the whole watch dial. This part of production is one of the most artistic steps of the process, distinguishing the watch from all others. In this step of production, creativity and passion for the craft makes the watch come alive. A whole range of different skills are involved in making a watch dial, making it difficult to start with a blank piece and produce a fully finished dial that ready to deliver the first time it is seen. The key elements in a dial are its finish, its color, the decoration and the markers. The markers are given by the engravers and must be transferred over to the dial.  Beyond the basic dial, there are any number of decorative and design possibilities using combinations of materials and techniques. To be a dial maker, patience to make tiny but very precise movements and a keen sense of observation are necessary, which come from the passion a person can have for dial making. A dial maker can make 10 , 15, or even 20 dial variations for a single watch which will be used to propose model variations from one model to the next. This art requires a great level of precision and metriculosity, everyday brings something different, a technique, an idea, a material, its something done with passion.

Dial made by guillocheur with the craftsman operating the machine

     Over the years, Cartier's dial makers have explored with ancient art forms, adopting these skills from their fellow competitors in the watchmaking industry, perfecting these century old techniques such as enameling and guillocheur, as well as striving to further preserve these rare artistic crafts. The maison's skilled craftsmen revived some of these ancient techniques, allowing them to add new products to their existing product lines. One of the revived techniques is grisaille gold paste enameling. The use of enameling in watchmaking itself however, was around for centuries, dating back to 16th-11th century BC. The artisanal technique of grisaille gold paste enameling involves firing gold paste several times, then drawing it onto the black enamel directly, which is a little different from traditional enameling, giving the panther a unique sheen in the beautiful dial of their Rotunda De Cartier Mystery Watch.

Rotunda de Cartier Mystery Watch made with gold paste enameling

the drawing using gold paste enameling

finished piece created by the enamelist(top right) and what it looked like in process(bottom left) as well as the sketch of the finished watch(top left, faded)

an enamelist creating the panther

     Two other art forms that were reinvented by the craftsmen at Cartier are the art of gold filigree and gold granulation. The ancient art of filigree refers to the process and type of design that uses twisted wire to create delicate, lacy, openwork jewelry. Usually made from finer metals like gold, silver and platinum, filigree has been used for centuries to craft jewelry such as pins, rings and pendants. To create filigree, an artisan rolls the malleable metal into thin filaments, then twists and bends them into intricate shapes that resemble spun sugar, paisley scrolls and evocative arabesques. This art dates back to 300BC. The craftsmen of Cartier worked with beaten gold and platinum micro-waves that required specific equipment especially created on site. Over a month of work was required to create the lacework for their Ronde Louis Cartier XL watch which boasts two panthers whose coats are woven from fine filigree elements of gold and platinum set with diamonds. The Filigree dial was created by twisting 22k gold wires, looping them and then soldering them together in a lace-like pattern to create a composition on the dial. The trick is to solder the pieces of filigree together without melting the gold beneath enabled by a careful combination of melting temperatures and alloy mixtures in the dial plate. Three techniques are used to create the dial composition, millegrain (a form of granulation that translates to a million grains of gold), filigree, and lacquer. 

    Cartier revisited the nearly extinct craft of gold granulated jewelry when creating their Rotonde de Cartier watch with Panther Granulation. The earliest example found of this craft dates back to 2600BCE.   Granulation is a decoration that consists of tiny spherical granules of metal that are soldered to a metal background or substrate. The general steps to their creation are to make the tiny granules, placer them on the substrate, and then join them to that substrate using glue,flux, and/or metallic salts and applying heat. This was used prevelantly by the mesopitanians, until it slowly faded out of practice sometime in the late roman period and into the middle ages( during the great geometric perod). Chemical soldering is the joining technique most probably used by ancient artists to attach tiny granules to the substrate. Granules vary from .35mm to .5mm granules are made from circles of wire and are each melted individually on a charcoal block. The surface tension of the gold caused it to melt into a ball due to the enroid attraction of molecules in the liquid metal, the object is then torched, flux enables them to fuse together without melting the object, copper is added only to the granule, which lowers its melting point to around 900 degrees Celsius, allowing the granule to fuse the then substrate while still retaining their shapes, once the granules are joined the object is paced in acid to remove the access copper from the surface, brightening the surface. The craftsmen of Cartier arranged these tiny granules in a way as to form the shape of a panther.

4th century Greek bracelet made with gold granulation

Cartier Rotonde de Cartier with Panther Granulation

22k gold being looped together

Gold filigree woven to form the image of the panthers

The woven piece being filled in by the 22k gold loops

The finished watch

    In addition to being able to revive ancient techniques, Cartier's craftsmen were able to use wood marquetry to create watch dials, innovating the use of wood marquetry as a technique for creating watch dials. In this process, veneer makers and marqueteurs pick out the type of wood they want to use that will match the desired color of the dial they are making. What they are using is veneers, or layers of wood. The design is made by the Cartier craftsman from that point. The marqueter makes the line drawing  which mean deciding on the outline of each piece with a precise drawing encouraging creativity,  then they cut it, sawing half the line making it possible to joint the pieces accurately. The saw is worked by the foot and the packet is moved around by hand and in time, the craftsman can get a feel for the work, a certain level of skill, the pieces are cut to fit each other like a jigsaw puzzle. The watch requires around 12 hours of work to saw all the parts. An artistic craft is a mixture of tradition respecting the real values of the craft, applying them strictly , and then trying toil achieve something that is fine and well made. The essence of marquetry is being able to exercise very precise movements. In order to find your way in assembling the picture, you just keep the pieces in a box and the artist can tell them apart because he drew them, chose the woods, and sawed them, picking them out one by one by their textures, colors and shapes in the right order for assembling them and set about joining them from the picture. Finishing is an important part of the job as it is the step that sets off the entire job. The craftsman has to sand lightly to go through the marquetry, polishing it without scratching it.

Beginning of the cutting process of the line drawing

A piece cut to fit like a jigsaw puzzle

A piece being cut

The craftsman putting the pieces together

A craftsman craftsman lightly sanding the work, polishing it

Cartier watch made using wood marquetry 

   Another innovating technique used by Cartier's craftsmen similar to that of wood marquetry, is using the art of floral marquetry on a watch dial. Floral marquetry is a form of craftsmanship new to watch making using which Cartier created the Balloon Bleu de Cartier Floral Parrot watch. This process begins with flower petals that are gathered and selected for their color and size.Each is then cut into tiny pieces and then stuck to a thin slice of wood veneer.  With a marquetry saw, the petal is then cut into the exact shape to fit a particular space in the design after which each piece of petal is then applied to the dial base. 

A petal being selected

Petals being cut up

Cut up pieces of petals

Petals being applied to the dial base

The finished Balloon Bleu de Cartier Floral Parrot watch next to rose petals