MASTER OF SHAPES

istorically, Louis Cartier was the first to set the design codes of modern watchmaking from the perspective of a jeweller. A pioneer of his time, he believed that the beauty of a watch was not just a matter of decoration. The size, shape and proportions, the look of the meta, and the harmony between bracelet and case were just as important. He soon became interested in “Special-Shaped watches,” which means that the case of the watch that broke away from the traditional round design. Case in point: “Tonneau” (barrel) shaped watches in 1906, square cases from 1904, and “tortue” (turtle) shapes in 1912 were the first examples of very beautiful watchmaking created by an innovative