How The Watch Transformed Our World This event is now over

Crafting Time

Join Carole Kasapi, Pierre Rainero, Deyan Sudjic and Nicholas Foulkes to explore how the watch transformed our relationship to time, craftsmanship and luxury.

What to expect

Created at the beginning of the 20th century, the watch was a symbol of progress and modernity. At once a piece of jewellery and a practical tool, the watch allowed time to be carried by anyone, anywhere at any time.

Today time continues to govern every aspect of our lives, be it work, travel, leisure or culture. But whereas the watch was once an object of the future, today smart-phones and digital devices have become our go-to sources of time. Is the watch a piece of technology we would be better without? Or does its value endure in a way that continues to affect the societies we live in?

This talk explored the design story behind the watch, the importance of craftsmanship and the place of luxury in the modern world.

Image credit | ® Nigel Young-Foster + Partners

Image credit | ® Nigel Young-Foster + Partners

Image credit | ® Nigel Young-Foster + Partners

Image credit | ® Nigel Young-Foster + Partners

Book online

Booking information

Adult £10, student/ concession £7.50, Members £9

Speakers

Nicholas Foulkes

Nicholas Foulkes is an historian, author, editor and journalist. He has written approximately 30 books. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, the Financial Times How to Spend It and the Rake magazine. He is luxury Editor of GQ, and special correspondent for Newsweek. He writes widely on watches, craftsmanship and the applied and fine arts.

Pierre Rainero

Since 1984 Pierre Rainero has held a number of senior positions within Cartier. In 2003 he was appointed as director for Image, Style and Heritage. In this role, he is also at the head of the Cartier Collection, which gathers more than 1,600 historically significant pieces.

Carole Kasapi

Born into a family of watchmakers, Carole Kasapi holds a diploma in Swiss watchmaking and watch design. A creator and inventor, she is passionate about mechanisms, constantly seeking to push the boundaries of functions, the improvement of watchmaking devices and the interpretation of time display.

Chair

Deyan Sudjic

Deyan Sudjic is Co-Director of the Design Museum and co-curator of Cartier in Motion. He is the author of numerous books on design, including ‘The Language of Things’, ‘B is for Bauhaus: An A-Z of the Modern World’ and ‘The Edifice Complex’.

Related exhibition

Cartier in Motion

Cartier in Motion unravels the unique story of Cartier’s approach to watchmaking and how the invention of the modern wristwatch came about.