A place where cutting-edge and traditional technology coexist
A manufacturing system that rivals that of specialized watch brands
Cartier, France's leading high jeweler, is also a powerful watchmaker with a long history. It has five watch manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, and the Cartier Manufacture, which we visited this time, is the hub of these. The factory is located in the suburbs of La Chaux-de-Fonds, one of the centers of the Swiss watch industry, in the lush green hills.
The first area we visited was the Prototype department. Here, sketches drawn up in design studios in Paris and Geneva are first turned into three-dimensional mockups using a 3D printer. After meticulous checking of the design, a prototype is produced and undergoes meticulous testing for shock resistance, magnetic resistance, acid resistance, fatigue resistance, winding efficiency, and more. Only when it passes these tests will it finally be ready for commercialization.
The prototype department is equipped with general-purpose machine tools that offer a high degree of freedom in operation, and highly automated CNC machining centers that use computer numerical control. Furthermore, the department also produces jigs to hold components in place during processing, as well as special cutting tools (machining blades), making it a truly prestigious watch brand.
The factory is vast, with a total floor space of 33,000 square meters, much of which is dedicated to machine tools. The sight of rows of high-performance CNC machines is truly impressive. These are primarily used to manufacture bracelet components. The processing tolerance (allowable error) is 4 to 5 microns. The bracelet links are machined with high precision, carefully assembled by hand, and then polished and satin-finished by hand along with the cases delivered from another factory.
The production of hands is also an important part of the Cartier Manufacture's work. The Maison's signature blue hands are not dyed, but are made using the traditional technique of heating steel to change color. By perfectly controlling the heat, the vivid blue color is achieved.
All edges of the skeleton dial are polished by hand by specialized craftsmen. I was amazed to see that the crystal glass is placed in a mold, rotated, and heated with a burner to bend it. The beautiful exterior parts and movement are then combined here to complete the watch.
The factory also houses a restoration department. Here, 19th-century manual machine tools are still in use, and various watches are restored using the same techniques as back then. It is rare for a specialized watch brand to have a restoration department that focuses on the era of machine tools. Cartier's watchmaking looks far into the future, even after the watch has been handed over to the wearer.
All final design sketches are checked by CEO Cyril Vigneron, who signs them in the bottom right corner. 
In the Prototype category, a 3D printed mockup of the Santos de Cartier is produced. Several mockups are produced, with fine adjustments made to the details. 
A 3D printer producing mock-up parts. The Prototype Department will have several of these. 
Each link of the carved bracelet is assembled by hand. 
Finishing the skeleton dial. All edges are polished using a router with a rotating file attached to the tip. 
Windshield glass bending process. Flat glass placed on a rapidly rotating mold is gradually bent. 
The assembled bracelet is polished. The satin-finished parts are protected with orange tape as the work progresses.
The studio was renovated from a 17th-century farmhouse.
A variety of traditional craft techniques live under one roof
After the tour was over, we were guided to another adjacent building. In stark contrast to the modern facade of the Cartier Manufacture, this workshop, a renovated old farmhouse made of mud walls and wood, is called Maison des Métiers d'Art. Métiers d'Art means "artistic handiwork" in French. Here, dials and jewelry watches that make full use of craft techniques such as enamel and marquetry are made, as well as a variety of complicated watches, including tourbillons.
In the past, farmers in La Chaux-de-Fonds worked hard to manufacture watch parts during the winter off-season, and it eventually became a center of the watch industry. Maison des Métiers d'Art, which retains the appearance of a farmhouse built in the 17th century, allows you to feel the history of the Swiss watch industry.
Within the building, many traditional handicrafts are alive and well. Although the enamel is fired in an electric furnace, the tradition of Grand Feu (French for "big flame"), in which large flames rise from the molten glaze at high temperatures, is still carried on. The techniques are also extremely diverse, including miniature (miniature painting), cloisonné, which frames the design with gold wire, grisaille (monochrome painting), and champlevé, which applies glaze over engraving. A row of color samples are lined up on the walls, and the artisans follow these to create the Maison's ideal enamel dials.
Other artisans who practice their craft here include gem-setting, glyptic (carving of gems and precious stones), gold filigree, and engraving.
In a corner of the workshop, I spotted a craftsman working at a special desk with a dustproof device attached to the top. He was assembling a tourbillon. Cartier has the technological expertise to develop and manufacture in-house both traditional complicated mechanisms and unique mechanisms such as an automatic winding rotor as the movement itself. These masterpieces of mechanical watchmaking are completed one by one right here at the Maison des Métiers d'Art.
By combining advanced industrialization with traditional craftsmanship, Cartier produces high-performance, beautiful, and versatile watches.
The exterior of Maison de Thiédart, a renovated farmhouse built during the early days of the Swiss watch industry. 
A champlevé enamel dial after the first firing. Glazes are applied to the engraved recesses in order and fired repeatedly. 
A large number of enamel color samples hang on the wall. Glazes are mixed based on these samples. 
After the engraving is complete, the base of the high jewelry watch is carefully polished by hand by a craftsman.
