1914: the panther motif entered into the Cartier universe. For the first time, the jeweler brought this spotted feline to a watch bracelet. Pan Pan the panther, it was Jeanne Toussaint – Belle Époque darling and director of Cartier’s fine jewelry division all the way until the 70s. An inveterate symbol of the jewelry brand and an inexhaustible source of inspiration, the panther is for Cartier the seal of a very special femininity. When the jeweler created the Panthère watch in 1983, it was imagined as an ultra-feminine style, inspired by the 1904 Santos. A worthy heir to the first bracelet watches, the Panthère watch purrs with liberty and creativity. Today, it’s being reinvented in a tad sexier version.
It was in 2004 that the Panthère watch was supplanted by the Tank, another Cartier icon, and would cease to be produced. Today, the Panthère 2.0 is borrowing its distinctive traits from the original style: a square case and riveted bezel, the ex-best seller keeps all its proportions that won over Keith Richards, Madonna, Pierce Brosnan, and Brooke Shields. The new version of the Panthère makes its links even tighter to give more tonicity to the bracelet, while the date function has been removed altogether. A jewel that gives the time is largely sufficient for one who has only the obligations they give themselves. Available in yellow or rose gold, in steel or with a two-tone format, with or without diamonds, the new Panthère timepiece is also introducing two limited edition creations. All in all, a collection of 12 styles is now up for grabs.
To introduce this re-imagined Panthère, Cartier called on director Sofia Coppola. She mentions: “When Cartier asked me to do a film to relaunch this watch, I asked myself: what does the Panthère woman represent today? What context did she evolve in? I had to give a modern interpretation to all the glamorous, sophisticated, sexy, and funny muses that wore this watch in the 80s. Australian actress Courtney Eaton, who I met for a casting call, had that certain something and the naturalness I was looking for.” Her short film thus chronicles the intrepid journey of a woman unencumbered, enjoying all the pleasures of her gilded life alongside the Panthère. These watches will be available in June, with an early launch on Net-A-Porter.
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