Each year the Millward Brown Optimor consulting firm issues a ranking of the world’s top brands. MBO uses a complex formula to estimate a brand’s worth. Only one brand whose primary product is watches made the list: Rolex. MBO estimates that Geneva-based Rolex is the world’s sixth most valuable luxury brand with a value of $4.74 billion.

Of the five luxury brands ranked ahead of Rolex, four have watch lines: Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Gucci and Chanel. However, those brands made their names with products other than watches. Indeed, eight of the top 10 luxury brands have watch collections (see table), but only Switzerland’s Rolex is known exclusively for watches. (Reviewing the table, one wonders why there are no Hennessy or Moët & Chandon watches. What are they waiting for?)

What’s the second most valuable watch brand? The Millward Brown Optimor survey doesn’t say. No watches-only brand, including Rolex, appears in its 2010 BrandZ Top 100 ranking. To make that list a brand had to have a value of $7.28 billion or higher.

Cartier, however, can make a strong claim to the number two spot. MBO estimates the value of the Cartier brand at $3.96 billion, which puts it in eighth place on the luxury brand list. However, in addition to watches, Paris-based Cartier produces and sells jewelry and is a major global retailer.

MBO has issued its BrandZ report for 12 years. It uses in-depth financial analysis and quantitative consumer research in assigning brand value. Its full report has brand rankings for 17 product categories. (The report is available at www.millwardbrown.com.)

The value of all brands in the entire luxury category fell by a consolidated 3% in 2010, according to the report. It’s notable that Cartier (-19%) and Rolex (-14%) had the biggest year-on-year drops in brand value of the top 10 luxury brands. This doubtless reflects the severe slump in watch and jewelry sales globally in 2009.

“Generally consumers did not automatically feel entitled to luxury last year and needed a justification to spend,” the report states. “Even people with means felt constrained in purchasing luxury items. They wanted to avoid appearing insensitive to the general economic hardship…. Many of the luxury brands and categories were buoyed by sales in Asia, particularly China. Watch and jewelry sales at the lower price points of the luxury range ($3,000 to $4,000) were hard hit in the West, but remained strong in China. And while ‘stealth wealth’ characterized shoppers on Madison Avenue and Knightsbridge, Chinese consumers who could afford bling were flaunting it. The appetite for bling among Russians abated somewhat, however, as the oligarchs suffered from depressed oil prices.”

In case you’re wondering, BMO says the most valuable brand in the world is Google; its brand value is $114.3 billion.

At first glance, the word “legible” may not spring to mind, but take a closer look. The new Tortue Perpetual Calendar achieves a design coup: several elements, including an openwork dial, combine to create a rich, complex mechanical tapestry, yet each of the indications is easily read. As the first automatic perpetual calendar from Cartier, this watch melds the brand’s long-established design flair with its more recent strength in movement manufacturing. The 45.6 x 51 mm case is available in white or pink gold.

Technical information is available below the image, which may be enlarged with a click.

Calibre 9422 MC perpetual calendar

Movement: Cartier Manufacture, mechanical self-winding, perpetual calendar, individually numbered

Casing diameter: 11 ½’’’ (25.60 mm)

Total diameter: 14 ¼’’’ (32 mm)

Thickness: 5.88 mm

Number of jewels: 33

Number of components: 293

Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour

Power reserve: approx. 52 hours

At SIHH last week Cartier launched the new Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon with their new manual winding movement, Caliber 9451 MC, designed and created by Cartier watchmakers. This unusual movement is the product of 5 years of development at the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

The Astrotourbillon’s carriage is driven by the third wheel of the gear train. The pinion of the escape wheel rotates around a fixed seconds-wheel (the fourth wheel of the gear train) in order to drive the escapement. The carriage has a special rotational axis, as it is positioned at the center of the movement. This requires a different gear-train design, from the two barrels of the movement through to the display of the minutes and hours. Another feature, responsible for the striking visual effect created by the movement, is that the balance staff and escape-wheel staff are not on the same rotational axis as the carriage. They are located to one side of the carriage, in linear alignment with its rotational axis. The tourbillon carriage is positioned “above” the movement between two dials, rather than being directly integrated into the movement as with classic tourbillons.

This construction is unusual and has both aesthetic and technical consequences. The elongated carriage makes a complete revolution around the entire surface of the dial in one minute. The off-center balance bridge, shaped like an arrow, indicates the seconds. In order to ensure the equilibrium of the carriage, it was necessary to incorporate a platinum counterweight on the opposite side of the carriage, hidden under the central dial. Furthermore, the weight of the carriage had to be limited (0.39 g for the entire carriage, excluding the counterweight) in order to control its inertia during rotation, hence the choice of titanium for its construction.

This new movement is housed in the 47 mm Rotonde de Cartier case, available in white or rose gold, priced as follows:

White gold, Ref. CRW1556204 – $133,000
Rose gold, Ref. CRW1556205 – $124,000

The Astrotourbillon will be available at select Cartier boutiques across the U.S. from June 2010, and Cartier is accepting pre-orders.

Additional technical information appears below the images, which may be enlarged with a click.

Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon Watch

Case: 18 carat white or pink gold
Diameter: 47 mm
Crown: circular-grained in 18 carat white or pink gold, set with a sapphire cabochon
Crystal: sapphire
Case back: transparent sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 30 meters / 100 feet / 3 bar
Strap: black alligator skin (white gold) or brown alligator skin (pink gold)
Folding clasp: double adjustable, in 18 carat white or pink gold

Calibre 9451 MC Astrotourbillon

Movement: Cartier Manufacture, mechanical with manual winding, Astrotourbillon
Diameter: 16’’’ ¾, (38 mm)
hickness: 9.01 mm
Number of jewels: 23
Number of components: 187
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour
Power reserve: approx. 48 hours
Individually numbered movement

At SIHH last week, Cartier introduced a new in-house automatic movement known as 1904-PS MC. It powers the new men’s Calibre de Cartier line. The movement features twin barrels to provide a steady flow of power to the escapement, and the regulation system allows for fine adjustment to increase timekeeping accuracy. A stop-seconds system facilitates synchronization to a reference signal.

Cartier also paid close attention to the winding system. Ceramic ball bearings at the center of the rotor ensure excellent shock resistance and durability. Cartier abandoned reversers in favor of a pawl system to speed winding, and a bi-directional full-size rotor assures maximum winding efficiency. The movement measures 25.6mm in diameter and 4mm thick and it beats at 28.800 vph. The power reserve is 48 hours. The rotor and upper bridges are finished with traditional Côtes de Genève, and the main plate, which is hidden from view, is circular-grained.

The Calibre de Cartier case measures 42mm in diameter and is available in steel, steel and pink gold, and solid pink gold. The curved lugs provide a comfortable fit on the wrist. The steel version comes with black or white dial, the steel and gold model comes with a white dial, and in pink gold you may choose a white or chocolate brown dial. The dial incorporates signature Cartier design codes and is dominated by an oversize XII in slight relief. Everything is clearly legible. The crown features a synthetic spinel cabochon. Both crystals are sapphire, and the case is water-resistant to 30 meters. The alligator strap comes with an double-adjustable folding clasp.

Look for the Calibre de Cartier in stores beginning in April, starting at $6500 in steel. The images below may be enlarged with a click.

Harry Winston Diamond Corporation has announced the appointment of Frederic de Narp as President and CEO of Harry Winston, Inc., its New York-based jewelry and watch subsidiary, effective January 4, 2010. Mr. de Narp previously served as President and CEO of Cartier North America. He succeeds Tom O’Neill who led Harry Winston, Inc. over the last 5 years. Mr. de Narp joined Cartier in 1991, and was named president and CEO of Cartier North America in 2005.

Mr. de Narp’s career in luxury retail began 18 years ago at Cartier in Japan. Over the course of almost 20 years, his climb through the executive ranks at Cartier took him to Tokyo, Switzerland, Italy and Greece, and in 2005 he moved to New York to oversee Cartier North America.

Harry Winston Chairman and CEO Robert Gannicott said “We are delighted that Frederic will be joining Harry Winston, Inc. He has an innate ability for understanding the luxury consumer’s needs in the United States and globally. Frederic brings high energy as well as a clear vision of the relevance of luxury and jewelry to the modern world. His industry expertise, combined with our company’s unrivalled position in the market, will play an integral role in the development and growth of the Harry Winston business and brand internationally.”

The Cartier and America exhibition covers the history of the House of Cartier from its early period as the “king of jewelers and jeweler to kings” during the Belle Epoque through to the 1960s and 1970s, when Cartier supplied celebrities with jewels and luxury accessories. Derived mainly from the private Cartier Collection housed in Geneva, the more than 200 objects on display include jewelry of the Gilded Age and Art Deco periods, as well as freestanding works of arts such as the famous Mystery Clocks, and of course iconic Cartier personal timepieces

The exhibition marks Cartier’s 100 years in the United States and it focuses on pieces worn by Americans, including a pair of rock crystal and diamond bracelets worn by Gloria Swanson in the movie Sunset Boulevard, Daisy Fellowes’s “Tutti Frutti” necklace, and an exotic panther brooch purchased by the Duchess of Windsor.

Private lenders in the United States and France have contributed significant pieces to the exhibition. For the first time, an American museum will feature the personal jewelry of Princess Grace of Monaco from the time of her wedding to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956. These, generously lent by H.S.H. Prince Albert II, include her engagement ring, a 10.47-carat emerald-cut diamond set with two baguette diamonds mounted in platinum; a grand diamond necklace; and more informal gold brooches in the form of poodles and birds. The Lindemann Collection of Palm Beach is sharing some of its incomparable mystery clocks and flower pieces, and the Hillwood Museum in Washington, D.C., is lending jewelry made for cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, a longtime Cartier patron. Post’s brooch, one of the most spectacular jewels made in the 1920s, incorporates Indian carved carved emeralds, one of which dates from the Mughal era.

The exhibition runs December 19, 2009, to April 18, 2010, at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. For more information about the exhibit, visit the Legion of Honor official website. You may click the images below to view larger versions.

An exhibition of Cartier treasures will be on display at the Palace Museum in Beijing September 5 – November 22. The exhibition includes more than 350 items, including archives dating from the founding of Cartier to its creations from the 1970s. Partly dedicated to royal jewels, the exhibition will be housed in China’s former Imperial Palace and will be illustrated by historical documents relating to European royal courts, which earned Cartier thanks to King Edward VII of England, its reputation as the “Jeweller of Kings and King of Jewellers”.

Some of the items selected highlight the Chinese influence on Cartier creations: lacquer ware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ancient carved and engraved pieces of jade, and divinities and fantastic animals created by the jeweller’s hand. These creations represent the bonds that have existed between Cartier and the Far East since the beginning of the 20th century. The distinctive creativity, style and expertise of the jeweller are illustrated by a selection of drawings and archive documents, together with a set of rarely displayed plaster casts from the Cartier archives.

Chimera Mystery Clock
Cartier New York, 1926

Gold, platinum
Citrine (dial)
Agate (Chimera), nephrite (waves)
Onyx
Coral
Rose-cut diamonds
Pearls
Emerald cabochons
Red and black enamel

Transmission axle masked by a carved coral-coloured piece beneath the chimeras.
Hand-setting and winding mechanism underneath the base.

Rectangular 8-day movement, gold-plated, 15 jewels, bimetallic balance, Breguet balance spring. Transmission axle masked a carved piece of coral beneath the chimeras. Hand-setting and winding mechanism underneath the base.

The agate chimera, of Chinese origin, dates from the 19th century. This mystery clock was the 6th in a series of 12 that featured animals or figurines, made between 1922 and 1931, partly inspired by Louis XV and Louis XVI clocks in which the movement was set on the back of an animal. Today they are considered, with the Portique Mystery clocks, the most valuable of all collectors’ items with the Cartier signature.

Large Portique Mystery Clock
Cartier Paris, 1923

Platinum, gold
Rock crystal dial, columns and Biliken figure
Rose-cut diamonds
Coral cabochons, onyx
Black enamel

Square, 8-day double-barrel movement, gold-plated, 13 jewels, bimetallic balance, Breguet balance spring. Transmission axle in rock-crystal crossbar masked by coral cabochon. Billiken figure removable to provide access to the movement. Arbor for winding movement and setting hands.

This clock was the first in a series of 6 in the form of a Shinto “shrine gate” (portique), all different and all made by Cartier between 1923 and 1925.

Panther-pattern Watch-brooch
Cartier Paris, 1915

Platinum
Three pear-shaped diamonds, old-cut diamonds
Onyx spots and slider
Double black cord

Rectangular LeCoultre caliber 111 movement with cut corners, fausses Côtes de Genève decoration, silver-plated, 8 adjustments, 19 jewels, Swiss lever escapement, bimetallic balance, flat balance spring.

The Wall Street Journal Online is reporting that Cartier filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. in Manhattan on Friday claiming that a third-party iPhone app available from Apple’s App Store infringed Cartier’s trademarked designs. The app, called Fake Watch, displayed well-known watch designs on the iPhone screen. Apple quickly removed the app from their store and issued an apology, and shortly thereafter a Cartier attorney announced that the lawsuit would be withdrawn, saying that Cartier’s concerns had been addressed.

On April 30th Cartier celebrated the 100th anniversary of Cartier in North America with an event at the Cartier boutique on Fifth Avenue. Attendees included Bernard Fornas, President & CEO of Cartier International, Frédéric de Narp, President & CEO of Cartier North America as well as photographer Bruce Weber and Alan Khazei, founder and CEO of Be The Change, Inc. Celebrities on hand included Lisa Arian, Jessica Biel, Sandra Brant and Ingrid Sischy, Tory Burch, Nan Bush, Graydon Carter, Chiara Clemente, Maria Cuomo Cole, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Beth Rudin Dewoody, Susan Fales-Hill, Anne and Mario Grauso, Audrey B. Gruss, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Hearst, Sir Elton John, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, Martin Luther King III, Phillip Lim, Richard Meier, Demi Moore, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Zac Posen, Laurie Tisch, Patti Smith, Martha Stewart, Justin Timberlake and Stephen Wynn, Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes and Rachel Weisz.

Some images from the evening – click to view larger versions…

The Cartier Mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Cartier North America

L to R: CEO of Cartier International Bernard Fornas, actress Eva Mendes and President and CEO of Cartier North America Frederic de Narp: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Cartier North America

Demi Moore with Bernard Fornas and Frederic de Narp. Jamie McCarthy/WireImage for Cartier North America

Actress Anne Hathaway. Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Cartier North America

Actresses Kate Hudson and Jessica Biel. Jamie McCarthy/WireImage for Cartier North America

Posing for her official White House portrait, Michelle Obama wears the Cartier Steel Tank Francaise. Her dress is by Michael Cors. No First Lady has received as much fashion attention since Jackie Kennedy, pictured below wearing a Cartier Tank Louis watch in 1969. Click the images to view larger versions. Michelle Obama photo credit: Joyce N. Boghsian/The White House. Images provided by Cartier.

Michelle Obama’s Cartier up close…

Jackie Kennedy wearing Cartier in 1969…