In 1847 Cartier was founded in Paris by Louis-François Cartier.
In 1874 his son, Alfred Cartier, took over the administration of the company, but it were his sons, Louis, Pierre and Jacques, who were responsible for establishing the celebrated world-wide brand name of Cartier.
Jacques-Theodule Cartier (1885 – 1942), was the jeweller who ran the London branch of Cartier. Louis Cartier, his brother, popularized the wristwatch, and Pierre Cartier was one-time the owner of the Hope Diamond.
Cartier SA is nowadays a famous jeweller and watch manufacturer that is a subsidiary of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA.
The “maison” is known for numerous celebrated pieces, including the famous “Bestiary”, which is best illustrated by the famous Panthère brooch of the 1940s created for Wallis Simpson, the diamond necklace created for Yadavindra Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, and in 1904 the first practical wristwatch, the “Santos”.
