It is impossible to overstate the importance of tradition to the Swiss watch industry. It’s a business, after all, built on skills and techniques that by all rights have no place in the 21st century. Watchmakers in general are a rare and special breed. Fewer still are experts in the more specialised artistic crafts such as marquetry and enamelling, which places their talents in high demand. Collectively these artisanal disciplines are referred to as Métiers d’Arts, and Cartier is leading the way in preserving and fostering these nearly forgotten skills through the Maison des Métiers d’Arts.Based in an 18th century Bernese-style farmhouse a short walk away from their main fine watchmaking facility, the Maison des Métiers d’Arts is the perfect expression of what’s inside; technology and tradition collide here beautifully, much as they do at Cartier’s other watchmaking facilities.Part of the facility’s role is to showcase and further research these crafts.…

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