From Princess Diana and Steve McQueen, to Jacob Elordi and Shiv Roy, here’s our roundup of Cartier’s trailblazing fashion moments in pop culture
The ubiquity of Cartier in the last few years has certainly become a topic of conversation amongst both horology and fashion lovers alike. Style icons, movie stars, athletes and the like have all been seen wearing pieces from the “King of Shapes.” However, in reality, the presence of Cartier seen on both the silver screen and television is nothing new. The French luxury brand has been making watches that have graced red carpets and runways since before the Tank became a household name. From Princess Diana and Steve McQueen, to Jacob Elordi and Shiv Roy, we’ve put together a list of Cartier’s biggest fashion moments.
Whether it be a Cartier Tank Cintrée seen on the leading man of a Hollywood cult classic, or a jaw-dropping collection of Cartiers (including the enigmatic Crash) on the wrist of one of the music industry’s biggest rappers, there is no doubt that Cartier has been both quietly and not so quietly contributing to seminal fashion moments since the Santos de Cartier was first launched in 1904 (largely considered the first men’s wristwatch in watchmaking history). In no particular order, read on to discover our roundup of the luxury house’s biggest fashion moments.
Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair
If you’ve ever seen the movie, there should be no doubt why The Thomas Crown Affair is considered a cult classic. The movie was remade in 1999 starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, an iteration helmed by Michael B. Jordan was then being whispered for awhile, and as of 2023, Amazon announced plans to reboot the franchise. The 1968 original starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in the lead roles, with McQueen oozing suave sophistication and perfectly playing the role of a debonair millionaire who executes “the perfect bank heist” for sport. In the film, he is seen wearing an array of great watches (including a Patek Philippe pocket watch) but perhaps the most memorable is the Cartier Tank Cintrée with its unmistakable elongated shape. The movie was undeniably known for its impeccable fashion (think tailored three-piece suits and double-breasted waistcoats), so it comes as no surprise that the refined Thomas Crown would be wearing a Cintrée with a suit in a lush midnight blue color. With its narrow leather strap that extends from the shape of the watch, it’s an unexpected – but effective – choice to pair this unique timepiece with the eccentric main character.
Sarah Snook as Siobhan “Shiv” Roy in Succession
As a show that single-handedly sparked an entire style revolution, it would be remiss not to include it on this list. I am, of course, referring to the “quiet luxury” movement that took not only the fashion world by storm, but also the wider Internet as a whole. The Roys had the entirety of the world asking, “What is quiet luxury? And how do I dress like that?” From Kendall Roy’s $300 USD Maison Margiela cotton tee, to Shiv Roy’s heavy rotation of luxury turtlenecks, Succession showed everyone how garish their logo-wearing ways are in as little time as it takes Shiv to ask you if you “outsource your f–kery.” To complement her subdued looks, Shiv was often seen with several different Cartier watches, including both steel and gold versions of the Panthère de Cartier, as well as a Pasha de Cartier on occasion. It’s interesting that she was never seen with a Tank, but it is definitely appreciated that Cartier’s less pervasive pieces were worn by the baddest Roy.
Tyler, The Creator’s Watch Collection
The rapper’s editorial spread on Robb Report has now become the stuff of legends. Although the editorial was actually focused on Tyler, The Creator’s many “collections,” it was the watch category that set the Internet ablaze. In what has now become a photo circulated into the infinite ethers of the interwebs, Felicia the goat is seen with his arm outstretched, showing off no less than eight different Cartier watches. Although notable shapes such as the Baignoire and Santos-Dumont are among the ranks, it is the Cartier Crash that expectedly got the most attention. Known for its mystifying rarity and enigmatic origins, the watch was thought to be inspired by either a Cartier Baignoire Allongée that half-melted in a car crash, or by Salvador Dalí’s surrealist 1931 painting, The Persistence of Memory. Whatever the real story is, the rapper – who is known for his flamboyant, trend-setting sense of style – had people talking about the Cartier Crash with a whole new wave of interest.
Jacob Elordi Just Being Jacob Elordi
Whether you’ve seen Saltburn or not, one cannot deny that Jacob Elordi is the moment right now – fashion-wise or otherwise. Having first become a street style darling following his disturbing portrayal of Nate Jacobs in the acclaimed HBO series, Euphoria, Elordi has proven himself to be a sartorial chameleon (I still regularly think about the photo of him wearing a beanie, crewneck sweater and shorts, casually carrying a matcha latte whilst his Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag swings freely from his arm). In November 2023, Elordi was photographed for GQ’s “Men of the Year” cover wearing a Tank Louis paired with a pink silk shirt, and the editorial had women and men alike suddenly finding themselves entirely incoherent. Although Elordi is not officially a Cartier ambassador (he was previously one for TAG Heuer, though), it is clear that he has a serious love affair with the French label as he is consistently seen on red carpets sporting the brand, and was even seen wearing a black-dialled, yellow gold Tank Louis on his recent stint on SNL.
Emma Chamberlain Wearing a Baignoire as a Choker
Although Emma Chamberlain certainly was not the first person to wear a watch as a choker (Rihanna famously did it with a $700,000 USD Jacob & Co. watch to Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton show in June 2023), the fact that she did it with a Cartier Baignoire definitely had the fashion girlies salivating. Of course, it didn't hurt that she wore it to the Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2024 show. The fashion moment was not just of sartorial substance, but rather a prompt for a wider discussion on how watches can be worn and how they are no longer limited to just being timekeepers or functional objects destined to remain on the wrist. Emma Chamberlain has also been spotted with a Cartier Santos worn around her bun, which really goes to show that watches are entering a new frontier in which the fashion possibilities truly are limitless.
Yves Saint Laurent by Irving Penn
Yves Saint Laurent first launched his eponymous fashion label in 1962. By 1983, he became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition. That same year, the designer was lensed by revered photographer Irving Penn, one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. The portrait has since become one of the most recognized images of Yves Saint Laurent – it is at once able to capture the commanding presence of the incredible fashion talent, but also the notorious shyness that the designer was known for. In the photograph, Yves Saint Laurent is seen wearing a Tank Louis Cartier, which is all the more prominent in the tableau because of the designer’s partially covered visage. Forever memorializing the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent, the enduring permanence of the Tank exists right alongside the fashion icon.
Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales, understood the importance of visuals and the impact they had on taking control of her own narrative – such was the case when she wore her infamous “revenge dress” by Christina Stambolian, debuted on the same night that Prince Charles made public his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles on national television. Being no stranger to paparazzi, Princess Diana had always been known for much talked about fashion moments that ranged from what can only be referred to colloquially as modern day “street style” looks, to more deliberate statements such as her notorious “black sheep sweater.” In the years following her divorce, Princess Dianna was known to frequently don a Cartier Tank Française, as well as a Tank Louis with a black alligator strap, in lieu of her Patek Philippe gold watch that was gifted to her from the then-Prince Charles. These Cartier pieces are perhaps most significant in terms of the meaning that they hold for the late Princess Diana, establishing her independence away from the royal family and in reclaiming her own story.
