The Design Museum - London

Curated by Norman Foster, the exhibition Cartier in Motion explored the creativity of Cartier design from 25 May to 28 July 2017.

In telling the story of Cartier watchmaking and the invention of the modern wristwatch, Foster factored in the determining role of the sea change in society at the turn of the 20th century. Amidst upheavals in art, architecture, travel and lifestyle, the traces of a new world could be glimpsed.

The 170 exhibits were primarily pieces from the Cartier Collection as well as loans from the Collection of the Monaco Princely Palace Collection, the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace at Le Bourget airport and the Rockefeller Center in New York. Extracts from a scrapbook found in the Cartier Archives complemented the exhibits with insights into the research work of designers at the Maison.

The exhibition explored six main themes:

• The evolution of Paris and its influence on Cartier shapes
• Louis Cartier’s connections with Santos-Dumont and other pioneers of the age
• The birth of the modern wristwatch
• The everyday and sophisticated accessories designed to cater to a glamorous inter-war lifestyle
• The evolution of Cartier watch designs
• Cartier craftsmanship, with a focus on mystery clocks and skeleton movements