Not Panthère, Not Tank—This 100-Year-Old Cartier Icon Just Became the Hottest Thing to Wear on Your Wrist
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. However, if you look attentively at the most prolific watch and jewellery designs, you’ll notice that these creations weren’t spurred on by obligation. Instead, these iconic silhouettes derive inspiration from everyday objects that might go unnoticed to the untrained eye.
The Cartier Baignoire watch is one such icon that starts with this rudimentary pretence. Translating to “bathtub” in English, the recognisable oval outline takes influence from the curved contours of these soaking hotspots, transforming this regular space of respite into something far more sophisticated. Because who amongst us doesn’t believe that the ultimate form of luxury isn’t an act of self-indulgence?
But the Baignoire isn’t necessarily about pampering oneself. There are plenty of other Cartier pieces that express this notion better. (The screw-sealed Love is amongst this set, though someone like Dakota Johnson, who is explicitly known for her passion for bathing, might certainly see it this way. As she told the Wall Street Journal, “I will get in a bathtub at any moment, any time of the day.”)
Instead, like the vessel it mimics the shape of, it’s a masterclass in passing time. Quite an apt description for a chronometer, no? Or, as Brynn Wallner puts it, a “proof of concept of watching and eyeing off what people are talking about and intentionally creating something specific from it.”
What is the Cartier Baignoire Watch?The Cartier Baignoire watch is a style that dates back over a century, yet it really only found its place in the annals of horology over the past few years. The watch itself boasts soft curves, a beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon, a silvered dial and a quartz movement.
With a smaller model and delicate finish, the discrete elegance inherent to the shape makes it a ripe choice for stylish dressers interested in something both conspicuous and contemporary.
Yet, when compared to the Cartier Panthère or Tank, it's a style that certainly flew under the radar for decades.
Wallner is a writer and watch expert who serves as a “femme forward resource”, as she says herself, under the name Dimepiece. Launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wallner disrupted the industry through her insightful, approachable and colloquial commentary at a time when horology wasn’t necessarily pandering to female consumers. This scarcity left space for Wallner to fill, which she did with wit, humour and an eagle eye for celebrity watch-spotting and identifying the next most covetable style.
Despite never owning a watch while running the account—a blight she swiftly corrected with the purchase of a Cartier Tank Française to commemorate the platform’s one-year anniversary and her 31st birthday—Wallner tells me over Zoom from her apartment in New York that it was the infrequently discussed Baignoire that piqued her interest.
Created in 1912, the Cartier Baignoire was born into obscurity after Louis Cartier, the grandson of the brand’s founder Louis-François Cartier, designed the shape for Russian Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.
The rounded edges and petite face were quite revolutionary for the time, and in 1958, it went into production before being officially baptised as the Baignoire in 1974, earning the support of early adopters like French New Wave actress Jeanne Moreau by direct consequence.
These endorsements certainly helped the Baignoire remain as Cartier’s best-kept secret—a reputation that followed it through to the 2020s.
“A year and a half before starting Dimepiece, a friend of mine who I worked with at Sotheby's introduced me to Alan Bedwell, a professional watch dealer who goes by Foundwell,” Wallner explains.
“He’s been in the business for 20 years, and on our first watch ‘date’, he came with a little pouch of ladies' watches to just do a show and tell. Among those watches was the Cartier Baignoire, which I had never seen or heard of before, even though I had done a lot of research into watches.
“I was like, ‘What is this watch? It's so cute. I'm obsessed.’ He explained it was a Cartier Baignoire and that it was named after a bathtub. I looked into it and was so surprised by the fact that, despite Catherine Deneuve wearing it and having this cool ‘60s design, nobody was talking about it.
“So, I started posting about it being like, ‘Oh my God, the Cartier Baignoire is so cute, how come nobody told me!’. Other people started to notice it, too, after I started calling it out. At the time, those watches were so undervalued on the secondary market. Nobody really cared about them or wanted them, which is why Alan had his collection for, like, ever.”
Wallner’s publicity for the Baignoire certainly bolstered its desirability in the space, and it was a little over a year later that Cartier cemented this online fervour with a splashy release.
“Cartier was kind of watching what was unfolding online, and so in 2023 at Watches and Wonders [an annual trade event held in Geneva], their big release that year was the Baignoire on the bangle. It was also like the reintroduction of the Baignoire into the Cartier stable. That watch just took off after that.
“The Baignoire got the waitlist treatment that a lot of popular men's watches get. It became really hard to purchase. You couldn’t just go into the Cartier store and buy the watch because it's sold out, so all these people were like, ‘How do I get this watch?’
“That moment was the first time in recent history when a lady's watch was so coveted. The Baignoire bangle has all these elements that nod to Cartier’s history as a jewellery maker, and when they were unveiling it, the brand explained that it was designed to be stacked, which was surprising to hear because stacking is almost a taboo subject in the watch industry. So when they said that, I thought, ‘Oh, they really thought about women and how women like to wear watches when they were creating this.”
To that point, one of the most impressive elements about the Cartier Baignoire is the way in which the watch exercises constraint. The design is considered a dress watch, which comes down to the slimmer profile and minimalist appearance. But as with so many things in the watch world, the rules about who, where and when someone can wear a timepiece are constantly being rewritten.
Given the cult following the Baignoire has received, the exclusive few who are fortunate enough to call themselves owners of this style aren’t just restricting themselves to wearing the watch during formal occasions. Peaking out from underneath the cuff of a polished top or stacked with another Cartier signature.
Cartier’s most ostensible promoters have been those at the forefront of style, and the Baignoire is no different. However, with this watch being a quieter display of taste and elegance, the celebrity sightings require a little more deft in identifying.
For instance, French actress and musician Lou Doillon has tactfully been wearing one since receiving a Baignoire as an 18th birthday present from her mother, Jane Birkin.
Kendall Jenner has softly accessorised her stealth wealth ensemble with this design too, eschewing the louder and emphatic approach to fashion taken by her famous sisters.
Elle Fanning, who recently became an ambassador for the Parisian house, has also made the Baignoire an indispensable part of her press tour wardrobe for her latest project, Sentimental Value.
While promoting the movie at the Cannes Film Festival on the Côte d'Azur and the London Film Festival in the English capital, Fanning showcased that choosing between an accessory that doubles as both a timepiece and a piece of jewellery is actually the most opulent thing you could wear.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Cartier Baignoire has also garnered a fanbase with males who are interested in participating in Cartier mania without wearing something as easily identifiable.
Paul Mescal wore one to the global premiere of Gladiator II in Australia, while The Beatles' rhythm guitarist, George Harrison, famously owned one after being gifted a matching style by the band’s manager Brian Epstein. (Given this connection, there’s no doubt that the Cartier Baignoire will make an appearance in Sam Mendes’ upcoming quartet of biopics on the legendary Liverpudlian musicians.)
How Much Is the Cartier Baignoire Watch?This detail, in particular, is perhaps the most appealing thing about the Cartier Baignoire. It’s neither just a singular watch nor a bracelet, but miraculously both, making it better than the sum of its parts. So, how much would a Cartier Baignoire watch set you back?
Prices for the style begin at £7,000 for a mini model with a black varnished calfskin strap and can get up to £98,000 for a style set on a rhodium-finish white gold set with 1026 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 6.39 carats. On the resale market, however, styles start at £5,000 for vintage and pre-loved iterations.
Is The Cartier Baignoire Watch Worth It?It might seem that Cartier Baignoire pandemonium has reached fever pitch, but according to the experts, the desire for this style shows no sign of dissipating.
“I think that it's just gotten more popular, and because it is a vintage design, it has that staying power,” says Wallner. As she puts it: “I don't think it's just a trend—it's going to be one of the 'canon' watches.”
Without further ado, keep scrolling below to shop the Cartier Biagnoire.
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