Opinion: Decoding Cartier’s business strategy from its new launches at Watches and Wonders 2025
At Watches and Wonders 2025, Cartier unveiled a collection of luxury watches that felt less like a product showcase and more like making a statement. With pieces like the Tank à Guichets and the diamond-drenched Santos Baguette, Cartier is making it clear: this isn’t about keeping up with the horological Joneses. It’s about playing its own game, on its own terms.
The Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets is a perfect example of the maison’s knack for making the old feel new again. Originally launched in 1928, this minimalist watch ditches traditional hands in favour of jumping-hour apertures—a design so ahead of its time that it still feels modern nearly a century later. Revived for 2025 with Cartier’s updated 9755 MC hand-wound movement, the watch is as much a technical accomplishment as it is a design triumph. But don’t get too attached—only 200 pieces are being made, all in platinum. This isn’t your average watch; it’s a ticket to an exclusive club.
See also: Watches and Wonders 2025: A conversation with CEO Matthieu Humair
Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets (Photo: courtesy of Cartier)
And that’s the point. Cartier has been leaning heavily into limited editions in recent years, and for good reason. We’re living in a world where everyone seems to have everything, so owning something rare is the ultimate flex. Take, for example, the Crash Radieuse from 2017—limited to 50 pieces only, it sparked a frenzy on the secondary market, with auction houses Phillips and Christie’s reporting skyrocketing resale prices in 2019 and 2021 respectively. We think that the Tank à Guichets is destined for a similar fate, cementing Cartier’s reputation as a brand that understands how to make people want what they can’t easily have.
If exclusivity is one side of Cartier’s strategy, sheer opulence is the other. Enter the Tressage, a watch so dripping in diamonds it practically needs its own security detail. With 466 brilliant-cut diamonds adorning just its case and ardillon buckle, the white gold dial alone is dressed with 154 brilliant-cut diamonds, making it perfect for collectors who see watches not as tools but as trophies. It’s bold, unapologetic and very much in line with Cartier’s heritage as both jeweller and watchmaker.
That dual identity—jewellery meets horology—is where Cartier truly shines. Few brands can pull off what Cartier does: creating watches that are as much about aesthetic impact as they are about telling time. The Panthère de Cartier jewellery watch unveiled this year is another example of this approach. With its case and bracelet set with 398 brilliant-cut diamonds, spessartites and black and golden-brown lacquer, it’s wearable art at its best.
Panthère de Cartier (Photo: courtesy of Cartier)
Cartier’s ability to straddle different worlds—heritage and innovation, accessibility and exclusivity—is paying off handsomely. According to Morgan Stanley’s annual Swiss watch industry analysis, which includes data from Swiss consultancy LuxeConsult, Cartier accounted for approximately 8 per cent of the market share in 2023, with estimated sales of US$3.44 billion and 660,000 units sold, making it second to Rolex, which had sales of US$11.21 billion and 1.24 million units sold. What’s remarkable is how it manages to cater to both ends of the luxury spectrum. With an average price point of US$6,340 and annual sales exceeding 660,000 watches—more than double Omega’s volume—Cartier has found the sweet spot between mass appeal and high-end allure.
But don’t mistake volume for ubiquity. Cartier knows how to keep things special. Its vintage-inspired designs now account for nearly 30 per cent of its revenue—a clear sign that buyers are gravitating towards timelessness over trends. Watches like the Tank à Guichets are conversation starters about what luxury means in an age where rarity trumps novelty.
This year at Watches and Wonders 2025, Cartier didn’t just show off new watches—it showed off its vision for modern horology, where design matters as much as mechanics, where heritage informs innovation and where scarcity creates desire. Whether you’re drawn to the intellectual allure of the Tank à Guichets or the unapologetic glamour of the Tressage watch, one thing is certain: Cartier isn’t just keeping time—it’s shaping it—as always.
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