Perfect animal designs from Cartier

Often, in the rat-race that we call life and in our desire to get ahead, we forget those who matter the most to us.

So if you have been feeling a tad guilty about the long hours you have been spending at work or about the frequent business trips, why not buy your someone special a gift.

And what better way of letting them know how much they mean to you by buying them a Dh540,000-watch from the Cirque Animalier Collection by the renowned French jewellery and watchmaker Cartier.

The company needs no introduction. It has a long history of serving royalty, celebrities and movie stars and was once hailed as the 'Jeweller to Kings, King of Jewellers', by the Prince of Wales.

Cartier received an order for 27 tiaras for the coronation of the future king of England. King Edward VII was crowned in 1902 and in 1904 he honoured the company with the royal warrant of supplier to the Royal Court of England. Similar warrants soon followed from the courts of Spain, Portugal, Russia, Siam, Greece, Serbia, Belgium, Romania, Egypt and Albania, as well as from the House of Orleans and the Principality of Monaco.

Mr Patrick Normand, Managing Director of Cartier Middle East and South Asia told Emirates Business: "Cartier itself is not just a name but a House gathering history, culture, spirit, craftsmanship… Hence Cartier House has always been synonymous with perfection, artistic creation, savoir-faire, and craftsmanship. So whether its creations fall under jewellery, timepieces, or even accessories, Cartier's creations should reflect these aspects in every way it appeals to our admirers."

Cartier's Cirque Animalier Collection is proof of the fact that the company has lost none of its skills and has over the years managed to combine it's jewellery making skills with that of fine watch-making.

The result is uniquely-shaped watches brimming with charm, elegance and preciousness that gracefully re-invent the way we look at the humble wristwatch.

The Le Cirque Animalier de Cartier watches come in three different shapes – of panda, tiger and elephant – and are limited to 50 individually-numbered timepieces.

Talking about the Le Cirque Animalier de Cartier collection Normand said: "The collection is dreamlike… a selection of innovative designs… a wandering watchmaker's fairytale that roams the continents like a travelling circus on a voyage of discovery.

"These three original creations, in a limited-edition series of 50 individually-numbered timepieces, encompasses all areas of watchmaking expertise.

"From stone-setting to enamelling, from engine-turning to diamond-paving and from sculpting to engraving, Cartier exhibits the full extent of its jewellery-making and technical virtuosity in each of these creations, all mounted on brushed canvas straps. "

The watch with the panda is made of black sapphires and diamonds. The precious miniature animal holds a disc of black enamel in its paws, embossed with bamboo stalks and eucalyptus leaves in white enamel to reflect the delicate landscape of China.

The watch with the elephant motif is particularly endearing as little elephant stands balanced atop a ball of pink gold covered in sparkling, star-set diamonds. The silhouette of this circus hero, outlined in white gold and paved with diamonds, invades the pink-gold dial decorated with a shimmering hint of diamonds. A circus act is in full-swing in the ring where time unfolds, a dial within a dial, like a rehearsal in the art of style.

The watch with the tiger motif has the animal curled up around an iridescent, sun-like dial in yellow gold that has been entirely engine-turned and encircled with diamonds. Emerald eyes illuminate the unthreatening presence of this feline, crafted in yellow gold and yellow diamonds with onyx stripes. As if lying in wait, ready to pounce, the totemic animal created by Cartier stands out in all of its splendour inside the yellow-gold, fully-paved case of the watch.

So go ahead and take a pick of your favourite animal for your favourite person.

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