The power of that statement is irrefutable. Because what Rainero is saying is that while the entire watch industry loves to use the marketing message that the watches they create not only endure perennially but will hold their value forever, at Cartier, that is indeed the reality. So much so that Cartier will source, restore and offer their own vintage watches for sale to customers. As a statement of respect for their own creations, as a statement of absolute belief in the appreciable value of their own watches, and as an expression of the strength of Cartier’s brand equity, it is unparalleled.

Cartier Vintage is a genius move for several reasons. First, it serves to communicate the soaring prices of vintage Cartier watches. My friend, renowned author Nick Foulkes, who purchased his Cartier London Crash for a few thousand pounds several decades ago, now finds himself in the enviable position of wearing a quarter-million-dollar asset on his wrist. He states, “It’s wonderful to see the vintage and auction market now recognising the tremendous value of Cartier watches. This brand is the greatest contributor to design and style in men’s wristwatches in the last century. The downside is that I now have to leave my Crash in a safe deposit box because it’s worth so much money.”

But what exactly is the now two-year-old Cartier Vintage programme, and how is it distinct from the aforementioned Cartier Tradition? Says Rainero, “Cartier Vintage focuses on watches from the early 1970s to the early 2010s. These are the age parameters we’ve started off with, but they are fluid and may shift later. We started with the early 1970s because this marks a very important transition for Cartier regarding our watches. Before this, Cartier watches were only sold at Cartier boutiques, but in the 1970s, we began to sell watches in multibrand retailers. We even created lines such as the Vermeil-cased Les Must de Cartier watches specifically for this. [The fabulously successful Santos launched in 1978 was also created for this reason.] The early 2010s were selected as the endpoint because it was around this time that we made some extraordinary timepieces under the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP) range, where we worked on our iconic shapes coupled with mechanical and even complicated movements. We started Cartier Vintage two years ago at our London flagship on New Bond Street to celebrate its renovation. We then launched it at our Paris boutique on Faubourg Saint-Honoré. And now we are unveiling it at our Singapore flagship at ION Orchard. ”

One other reason for Cartier Vintage’s strategic positioning in Singapore might have to do with the city-state’s status as a window on taste in China. Says Austen Chu, a Chinese watch influencer known as @horoloupe on Instagram, and the founder of online watch retail platform WristCheck, “Traditionally, there is no culture for pre-owned or vintage watches in China, as there are certain predispositions about objects that are perceived to be old. However, what is clear is that the newer generation of affluent Chinese are starting to understand the appeal of vintage. At the same time, they are afraid of being sold something fake or modified, so when a brand like Cartier curates its own vintage watches, it gives the Chinese customer the perfect reassurance.”

Cartier Vintage Preview

At the moment, Cartier Vintage is something the maison prefers to keep rare. In total, there are just 24 Cartier Vintage timepieces at the three flagships, and each has been meticulously selected. The watches that are showcased in the Singapore Cartier boutique are the following: a Collection Louis Cartier Square Incurvée in yellow gold from 1976, a stunning slim watch with an unusual bassin caseback to make room for the movement, and an Atelier MCHP (Manufacture Cartier d’Horlogerie Paris) Tonneau watch dating from 1985 that is an example of the pure serene elegance of Cartier. Personally, I feel that the barrel-shaped Tonneau models are poised to stage a huge comeback in relevance and value, not just in the vintage world, but hopefully also in the modern watch scene.

More information: cartier.sg