Ronde Louis Cartier Enamel Filigree Watch

In 2014 Cartier unveiled the Ronde Louis Cartier Filigree Watch. This technique, which originated in ancient Egypt, works with gold or silver threads which are soldered together to produce a pattern as delicate as lace. This year, the designers and artisans at Cartier's Maison des Métiers d'Art have transposed this art to a new medium: enamel. First the powdered glass is heated then drawn into the shape of a bamboo stem, which is fixed to the dial using minuscule strands of gold to create the foreground. For the background, Cartier's artisans turned to different techniques that allow them to introduce depth and dimension. Some of the bamboo, as well as the panther's black spots and eyes, are in domed champlevé enamel while the sky and the rest of the bamboo are miniature-painted. Proposed as a limited and numbered edition of 30 pieces.