Jean-Jacques Cartier: 1919-2010

This is my grandfather, Jean-Jacques Cartier. I know I'm biased but he really was one of the most generous, moral, kind men you'd ever meet - a true gentleman. As I discovered when I recorded his memoirs he also lived a fascinating life - a peace-time baby born just at the end of the devastating First World war, he lived through the roaring 20s, the Great Depression and completed his Cartier apprenticeship in Paris during the final years of WW2 when clients included the terrifying (and gem-loving) Goering. Obviously the French salesmen didn't want to cater to the occupying Nazis but they had no choice - if they hadn't Cartier would have been moved to Germany (and even as it was, there were several attempts to do so). When he took over the London branch after the war, Jean-Jacques' clients included the royal family - this diamond flower brooch (with the 26 carat pink Williamson diamond at its centre) remains popular with the Queen today (see second image of it starring during a meeting with the Obamas at Buckingham Palace). Princess Margaret liked it so much she swiftly commissioned her own version from Cartier London too. But selling big jewels in Swinging Sixties London was tricky - there wasn’t a lot of wealth around and people were rebelling against the status quo - and so Jean-Jacques, an artist at heart, turned his focus to designing more practical accessories like cases and watches - such as the Crash watch here. Stories have abounded about this one in recent years - my grandfather found that rather amusing and told me the real story behind its creation. For that and many other inside stories, see my new book “The Cartiers”, published this week - 100 years after the birth of the man who inspired it. #thecartiers #thecartiersbook #creatingcartier