Click here to watch a video about the history and charm of Baignoire.

In today's article, we will explain the history and appeal of Cartier's "Baignoire" model.

When you think of Cartier watches, the Tank is the most representative and the rectangular shape that comes to mind first, but they also come in round and oval shapes.

We will also explain the characteristics and derivatives of the Baignoire, which is a type of oval that enjoys a certain level of popularity.

By reading this article to the end, we believe that your range of Cartier watch choices will be greatly expanded, so please do read through to the end.

The appeal of Cartier's "Baignoire" watch

Among Cartier watches, there are some models that are not well known but are secretly popular.

That's Baignoire.

The word "baignoire" means "bathtub" in French.

Royals and aristocrats have a history of wearing Cartier items, with Princess Diana favoring the classic Tank and Kate Middleton favoring the sporty Ballon Bleu.

Of course, this Baignoire was also a model loved by royalty and aristocrats.

However, I think the Baignoire is a lesser known model.

The Baignoire collection is a representative example of the French Maison's outstanding shaping techniques.

Based on a design created by Louis Cartier in 1912, the "Baignoire" features an oval shape composed of a single line with smooth curves.

It was designed to elongate the traditional round case and follow the curves of the wrist, creating a graceful and beautiful look.

And this design has remained unchanged to this day without any major changes.

So let's take a look at the history of how this Baignoire model was born.

History of the birth of Baignoire

Although the Baignoire was released to the public in 1957, the first unofficial Cartier Baignoire was created in 1912, when Louis Cartier gave an oval watch to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, who was his most important private client at the time.

At the beginning, I said that it means bathtub. There is an anecdote that the name was inspired by Pavlovna's comment that it was a "Western bathtub."

The watch in the image above is just an image of the watch that was given, and not the actual one, but it was apparently a model with a platinum base and diamonds on the bezel.

The design was later changed slightly and the piece was put on sale to the general public in 1957, but after one woman started wearing it, it became beloved by women all over the world.

There is a French actress named Catherine Deneuve, who became extremely popular after wearing a baignoire in the film "Repulsion" released in 1965.

The film itself was a huge hit, and Catherine was invited to appear on the red carpet, where she was reportedly wearing Baignoire.

"Crash" inspired by a broken Baignoire

The Baignoire has become so popular worldwide that further derivative models have been created.

"Crash" was born in 1966.

It is said that the idea for "Crash" began when a Cartier client brought a baignoire that had been damaged, melted and deformed in a car accident to the Maison in London.

This distorted baignoire inspired jeweler Jean-Jacques Cartier to create the world's first asymmetrical case.

Due to its design, the Crash was said to be avant-garde when it was released, and even for us today, adopting a design like this seems quite challenging, but this is Cartier, so they have managed to pull it off beautifully.

However, this is also said to be an urban legend.

There's no doubt that the Clash were born in a London fashion house, but Britain in the 1960s was the epicenter of the Swinging Sixties.

In short, to put it simply, Harajuku is said to be the epicenter of youth trends in Asia, and in a similar way, various new things were created in London at the time, and this movement swept the world.

Collectively, it is called " It's called the Swinging Sixties.

An easy example to understand is The Beatles.

Not only the arts such as movies, music, fashion, and architecture, but also people's thoughts and lifestyles, One theory is that interest in bold fashion and design was growing, and London fashion houses were being asked to create innovative designs to match.

It is not clear which information is true, but being able to reminisce about these secrets is certainly an element of the enjoyment of watching the birth of a model.

Despite this, Clash was sought after by a variety of collectors, including film legend Stewart Granger and hip-hop star Kanye West.

"Alongée" and "Maxi Oval" are extended versions of the Baignoire

In 1967, one year after the birth of the Crash, a new model, the Maxi Oval, was released.

The word "maxi" implies something larger than normal, so this model is a slightly larger oval shape compared to the Baignoire.

This Maxi Oval was produced in extremely limited numbers and was only made for a select few wealthy people, so it is more of a prototype.

The photo above was created at the Cartier London store in 1968.

This Maxi Oval seems to have been popular among men in London and was sold through a boutique on Bond Street in London.

That's why, if you look at the 6 o'clock position on the dial, you will see "London" written on it.

The dial features an opalin design with large Arabic numerals radiating from the center.

Its vertical size is 53mm, so it is made for men.

Its successor, the Alonge, was released in 1990.

Allongé means “stretched” in French, and as the model name suggests, this design is a baignoire that has been elongated vertically.

The maximum case length is 47mm, and strangely enough, the Baignoire series, including the Allongée, is only available for women.

I don't know why there is no men's line, but I think that they probably assigned the Crash model to the men's line and the Baignoire model to the women's line.

(As a side note, both men's and women's Crush are discontinued. Crush was also sold in the women's line and was available in sizes starting from MM.)

Looking at the design of the Allongée, we see that it is almost the same as the Maxi Oval, so we followed the same design and created it as a ladies' watch.

Looking at it this way, Cartier watches are not influenced by trends and their simplicity makes them suitable for women of any era.

Let's take a look at the different sizes of Baignoire

Baignoire is made exclusively for women, so it only comes in mini and small.

And the name Allongée is also included in the Baignoire category.

Then please see the image below↓

The charm of Mini Baignoire

The Baignoire Mini is a compact model designed especially for women. is.

The diamond-set yellow or pink gold case is an attractive design, perfect for women who want to create an elegant atmosphere.

Although small, it has a strong presence and is suitable for everyday use as well as special occasions.

If you were to buy one, the model you would have available would probably be one made around 2009.

Now let's take a look at the designs and sizes of these relatively modern baignoires.

The model on the left is the pre-2009 model, and the one on the right is the new model from 2009.

A distinctive feature of the previous model is that it does not have a crown.

This had the function of resetting the time to normal by pressing the button on the back.

Cartier has the philosophy that even a watch should be a part of (an extension of) jewelry, so I think that's why they removed the crown and made it more like jewelry.

The 2019 model has returned to the normal watch shape and the crown has been implemented again.

This depends on your personal preference, so I think which watch is better for you will depend on how you want to present it.

SM and LM sizes

The image shows a comparison of SM and LM sizes, but MM size is not available.

I think that MM's role is probably to complement Alonje's.

As you can see by comparing the sizes, SM and LM are very different.

A 1mm change in case size can make a big difference in the impression of a watch, so with such a large difference in size it will almost feel like a completely different watch.

The SM is a versatile type that will easily suit any woman, while the LM is a model aimed at women who want to enjoy fashion more and make their hands look more glamorous and elegant.

The Mini and SM are only available in quartz, but the LM is hand-wound, so it is positioned as a more luxurious line.

The LM is no longer in production, so if you are looking for one, it will be second-hand.

summary

This time, we will explain in detail about Cartier's Baignoire collection.

I believe that by learning the history and secrets behind the model, you will be able to understand it better and develop an even greater attachment to it.

When you think of Cartier, you may think of rectangular designs, but they also have many cute round models like this one.

Cartier's new Baignoire collection is a great choice for those seeking elegant and unique designs.

We believe that through the Baignoire series, Cartier will continue to captivate women around the world by sharing its outstanding design and craftsmanship.