What Is the Cartier Logo?
The Cartier logo is the name Cartier written in a flowing script that looks as if it were signed by hand. Cartier is the French jeweller and watchmaker founded in Paris in 1847, when Louis-François Cartier took over the workshop of his master, Adolphe Picard, at 29 Rue Montorgueil.
The house has been part of the Swiss Richemont group since 1988. Cartier designs such as the Tank watch, the Santos and the panther carry the same name rather than separate logos. The script name is available as the Cartier logo SVG.
Cartier Logo Facts
| Symbol | None; the family name in script |
| Logo type | Wordmark: the name in flowing script |
| Owner | Cartier, a subsidiary of the Richemont group |
What the Cartier Logo Means
The logo is a family name. Louis-François Cartier gave the house his surname, and later generations, including Louis and Pierre Cartier, carried it to London and New York.
Writing the name in script makes it look like a signature, which suits a house whose work is judged by the hand that made it. There is no symbol, crest or initial in the main mark: the word Cartier does all the work.
Cartier Logo History
Cartier does not publish a dated history of its lettering, so the history of the mark is the history of the name and where it appeared.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1847 | The name arrives with the workshop on Rue Montorgueil |
| 1899 | The house moves to 13 Rue de la Paix in Paris, on the initiative of Louis Cartier |
| 1902 | Pierre Cartier opens a branch at 4 New Burlington Street in London |
| 1909 | Pierre opens a subsidiary at 712 Fifth Avenue in New York |
| 1917 | The New York house moves into the former Morton Freeman Plant mansion at 653 Fifth Avenue |
| 1988 | Cartier joins Richemont |
Rue de la Paix is the address the house is most closely linked with. The London branch was timed for the coronation of King Edward VII.
The name also became attached to watches. In 1904 Louis Cartier made a flat wristwatch with a square bezel for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who had complained about pocket watches in flight.
- The Tank: first designed in 1917 and sold from 1919, it took its shape from the tanks of the Western Front.
- The panther: the first panther pattern appeared on a lady's wristwatch in diamonds and onyx in 1914.
- Jeanne Toussaint: became creative director in 1933 and oversaw the creations until 1970.
- The Love bracelet: created in New York in 1969.
Cartier's Three Temples
Cartier calls its historic houses in Paris, London and New York its three Temples. Each grew from the expansion that took the name beyond Paris in the early 1900s.
- Rue de la Paix in 1899
- London in 1902
- Fifth Avenue in 1909
For more brands like Cartier, browse our fashion logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Cartier?
Louis-François Cartier, who took over his master Adolphe Picard's jewellery workshop in Paris in 1847.
Where is Cartier's historic Paris address?
13 Rue de la Paix, where the house moved in 1899 on the initiative of Louis Cartier.
Who owns Cartier?
Cartier has been part of the Swiss Richemont group since 1988.
Which watch did Cartier make for Alberto Santos-Dumont?
A flat wristwatch with a square bezel, made by Louis Cartier in 1904 so the aviator could read the time without reaching for a pocket watch in flight.