The jeweller to kings and the king of jewellers, Cartier’s story began in 1847 when Mr Louis-François Cartier rented a modest jewellery store near the oyster market in Paris. He was just 28, but within three decades his business was an empire, built by his sons Pierre, Louis and Jacques, in London, Paris and New York. Their Swiss-made watches are both timeless jewellery and Art Deco icons, with a penchant for novel case shapes and inspirations – from tortoises and baths to armoured vehicles.