For the past four decades, the Maison Cartier has occupied Number 35 on Geneva’s most prestigious avenue, overlooking Lake Geneva’s western shore.

The 1960s structure featuring a fully-glazed historic facade has been redesigned by Bruno Moinard, the architect and interior designer behind the new-look Cartier boutiques across the globe.

As the largest boutique in Europe after Moscow, with 1000m2 of floor space, the project was an ambitious one. The result is a truly cosmopolitan destination, which cultivates the Maison’s identity as jeweller through the refined touches of a unique, welcoming interior. The ennobling presence of the “Poinçon de Genève” workshops on site makes for a venue where fine watchmaking comes into its own. An unconventional approach for this boutique equally devoted to preserving the Maison’s heritage through the Cartier Tradition restoration workshop.

Historic facade

The building designed by Swiss architect Pierre Braillard between 1961 and 1969 has been home to Cartier since 1970. Nestled at the heart of Geneva’s exclusive luxury shopping district, the glass cube with honeycombed windows has become an architectural staple of the cityscape, a modern-day ship looking out on Lake Geneva. The only visible structural change made by Bruno Moinard has been to bring the entrance in line with the facade.

Red, the iconic shade of the Maison

The tone is set from the first step through the door. The grand entrance hall is paved with carved stone bordered with red cabochons in Languedoc marble. A spectacular spiral staircase swathed in Cartier red ascends to the two upper floors of the Maison.

This striking work of art, accentuated by a bronze railing, is intersected by an enormous chandelier, and the floor openings have been decorated by artist Pierre Bonnefille. Designed to be viewed from below, the delicately corrugated underside of the staircase has been carved to a miniscule scale to produce a guillochage effect.

A majestic central display case glitters with a selection of pieces from the boutique’s high jewellery.

Watchmakers of yore: “Poinçon de Genève” workshops at 35 rue du Rhône

Cartier’s “Poinçon de Genève” workshops are also located at 35 rue du Rhône in keeping with the 18th-century Genevese tradition of cabinotiers, or watchmaking workers who would ply their trade in a workshop above the boutique, often on view to the public. The workshop here assembles timepieces in the Cartier fine watchmaking collection that bear the “Poinçon de Genève” seal, such as the Ballon Bleu de Cartier, flying tourbillon and Rotonde de Cartier double tourbillon mystery watches.

The “Poinçon de Genève” is a prestigious seal of quality, awarded on compliance with requirements relating to aesthetics, technique (design of the movements), and chronometry (level of precision). To be eligible the watch must be assembled and regulated within the Canton of Geneva. These timepieces are produced by master watchmakers whose craft demands the experience and savoir-faire acquired through many years of training. These craftsmen are dedicated to the art of fine watchmaking. It can take weeks or months to assemble and regulate a single watch with complications.

Source: Cartier