Cartier Must de Ronde Vendôme Trinity

"White gold for friendship, yellow gold for fidelity, rose gold for love"

2000

One of the oldest Cartier jewelry collections still in existence today, the Trinity line was created by Louis Cartier in 1924. Characterized by three interlocking rings — each in white, yellow, and pink gold. Aside from looking great, each of the colors represents a deeper meaning. The white band symbolizes friendship, while the yellow band represents fidelity. This leaves us with the rose gold band, which of course, signifies love. The Must de Cartier concept came about in 1973, when two men put their heads together to think of a creative solution to revive Cartier. The two men are Robert Hocq and Alain-Dominique Perrin. Hocq, who came from a lighter business background, had successfully turned the lighter into the must-have Cartier accessory at the end of 1960s and into the 1970s. This opened up opportunities for Cartier to develop beyond jewellery to areas such as leather goods, pens, fragrances and watches that were affordable and desirable for every day, but still had that Cartier magical aura around it. Coining the phrase “Les Must de Cartier,” Hocq wanted to create a line of products that one simply needed to have. He appointed Perrin as the new CEO of Les Must de Cartier, which became Cartier’s lower-priced spin-off line. What really set the ball rolling, according to Perrin in an interview he did with FHH Journal, was the launch of the silver gilt Must watches in 1977, including a Must de Cartier Tank that retailed for just US$500. The Must de Cartier Tank paid tribute to the original Tank Louis Cartier, but was released in a variety of dial options in dark blue, red, and black, even a striped three-tone gold. It was the first time Cartier has mass produced a watch to such scale. It was also the first time Cartier had launched a watch in a non-precious metal. But it worked. The watch was a massive hit. From selling just 3,000 watches a year, by the end of the 1970s the brand had exceeded the 160,000 mark.

Cartier was founded in 1847 in Paris by the jeweller Louis-François Cartier, who in 1899 handed over to his three sons. They would establish the company internationally, not least by making the Cartier name a favourite among the crowned heads of Europe. Named ""King of Jewellers, Jeweller of Kings"", the brand was quick to turn its attention to watches. Many have become modern-day icons, such as the Santos (1904), the first wristwatch actually ever created, the Tortue (1912) and the Tank (1919). They were followed by other noteworthy creations, including the Pasha, the Santos 100, the Ballon Bleu and the Calibre. The Cartier family retained ownership of the firm until 1964. It is now part of the Richemont Group.