Years ago I swore off Miami during Art Basel week. Too sceney, too expensive, too crowded, too crazed.
Then, on a Wednesday morning in September, an email from a PR manager at Cartier arrived in my inbox: “We are gearing up for an exhilarating project during Art Basel in Miami and thought of you immediately. Cartier is set to host a breathtaking watch exhibition, and we’d be thrilled if you could join us to cover it. It’s a journey through the intricate layers of our iconic timepieces, each telling a story of legacy, innovation, and unmatched craftsmanship.”
And just like that, I caved. (Who wouldn’t?!)
The exhibition, “Time Unlimited,” opened Dec. 7 at a temporary space in the Miami Design District, and I was thrilled to be part of a small group of editors and influencers invited to preview it.
On through Dec. 22, the exhibition is a tribute to Cartier’s well-deserved reputation as “the watchmaker of shapes,” a reference to the brand’s history of making non-round wristwatches that are, almost as a rule, iconic—from the rectangular Tank and its many fetching iterations to the bathtub-shaped Baignoire, the “It watch” of the season.
As someone who’s covered watchmaking for more than 20 years, it still catches me off-guard when I meet people who think of Cartier first (and perhaps only) as a jeweler. Then, I consider the hordes of people around the world who either covet or own the Love bracelet and I realize that, despite its 119-year-old history as a watchmaker—in 1904, Louis Cartier made the first Cartier wristwatch for the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont—the brand needs to keep telling that story.
Here are a few ways Cartier shaped the narrative around its watchmaking expertise during my three-day stay in Miami.
They thought of every last detail—down to monogrammed pillowcases.
Cartier chose the Four Seasons at the Surf Club in Surfside, a luxe, mostly residential beachside community just a few miles south of Bal Harbour, as home base for the press contingent it hosted during the week. The group of influencers and editors included Brynn Wallner, founder of @Dimepiece, a platform that promotes the intersection of watchmaking and pop culture through a feminine lens; Malaika Crawford, an editor with the leading watch publication Hodinkee; and Mike Nouveau, a vintage dealer and rising TikTok star best known for his “Watch Spotting” videos.
When I arrived at the Four Seasons on Monday, Dec. 4, three days before the exhibition officially opened to the public, I discovered that I had been given a corner room with a wraparound balcony that afforded me a view of the fiery sunsets over downtown, as well as a glimpse of the Atlantic ocean. Even more impressive, however, was the “Time Unlimited” room-service menu, featuring a curated selection of treats including Florida’s famed stone crabs, chips and a spicy margarita, and key lime pie.
The pièce de résistance, however, was undoubtedly the pair of monogrammed pillowcases that adorned my king-size bed (and yes, they were made to be taken home!).
Cartier loaned us watches for the event. I’m now all-in on small, shaped timepieces for 2024.
Before I departed for Miami, Cartier arranged for me to choose a piece from a menu of watches in the current range, so I could wear it on the trip. I opted for a Baignoire on a black strap, not realizing just how teeny-tiny it was (24.6 mm long by 18.7 mm wide). At first, I was hesitant. I’ve always worn models sized 36 mm and above. It didn’t take long, however, for me to warm to the smaller size. Something about it felt fresh and contemporary, which brings me to my point…
If the hype around the beguiling elongated oval style, especially in its mini incarnation, is any indication, you’ll want to stock up on smaller, shaped watches for the new year. The sizing-down trend, even, or especially, among men has been going strong for the better part of the past year and it does not appear to be slowing any time soon.
Cartier’s current hot streak, in sales of both new and vintage pieces, is also an indication that the time is ripe for round watches to make way for shapelier styles. After admiring the vitrines at the exhibition, which displayed timepieces from the current range as well as those from the Cartier Collection, a 40-year-old archive of designs that serves as a record of the brand’s innovation and artistry—it’s easy to see that a renaissance of shapes is coming.
No one does shaped watches better (or more prolifically) than Cartier.
As I admired the 20th-century models on display at the exhibition, I was struck by how daring so many of them were, especially in light of how much more conservative society was as a whole. Consider the Tank Asymétrique, a bold version of the Tank introduced in 1936 in an off-kilter case shaped like a parallelogram, and still sold today. Or the trio of 1970s styles in squarish yellow gold cases—the 1978 Ceinture, the 1977 Cristallor, and the 1974 Coussin—that seem ripe for revivals. Or the 1990 two-time-zone Tonneau wristwatch in its voluptuous yellow gold casing.
Having so many unconventional styles, some familiar and others obscure, collected into a single space made a powerful statement about Cartier: No other watchmaker has excelled at creating so many unusual and daring silhouettes, or, dare I say, ever will.
When styling wristwatches, anything goes.
The opening party for “Time Unlimited” took place on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in the exhibition rooms. It was Art Basel Miami Beach week at peak scene. Some of the boldfaced names in attendance included YouTuber and Cartier ambassador Emma Chamberlain, wearing—what else?—the mini Baignore bangle watch, the get of all gets; NBA legend Dwyane Wade adorned in an extra-large steel Cartier Tank Must watch; and singer-songwriter Leon Bridges in a large 18k yellow gold Tank Louis Cartier watch on a brown leather strap.
What I found most intriguing, however, were the styling choices that Mike Nouveau highlighted in his wrap-up video from the party. A Cartier exec wearing a yellow gold Panthère watch on a bracelet in a loop around her neck (hot!). Two women double-wristing a Tank and Baignoire on the same wrist. Lots of red dials and brown leather straps.
As you look to the new year, take note: Cartier may have innovated the form that its most popular models have taken, but its fans around the world—even those just learning of its legacy in watchmaking—will be the ones who ultimately define how to wear them.
Top: The exterior view of the “Time Unlimited” exhibition space in the Miami Design District (photo: Michael Stavaridis/courtesy of Cartier)
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