The Panthère de Cartier watch
Richemont-owned jeweler Cartier will open its first public-facing experiential activation in the United States market May 20-21 to garner interested in the Panthère timepiece.
During this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, Cartier announced that it would be reviving the 1980s classic, the Panthère de Cartier women’s wristwatch. Originally released in 1983, Cartier ceased production of the timepiece in 2004, but consumer demand has lead the French jeweler to return the watch to market (see story).
Downtown takeover
Cartier’s immersive consumer experience will take shape at a pop-up takeover at Indochine, a French-Vietnamese restaurant on New York’s Lafayette Street.
Cartier’s two-day Panthère Studio is designed to bring a millennial audience a customized and interactive branded experience. The event will celebrate the relaunch of the Panthère timepiece collection and recall the glamorous spirit of the 1980s, when the watch style first launched.
Panthère Studio’s takeover of Indochine includes shareable elements throughout the space such as live DJ performances, social media activations and interactive photo experiences. One such example is Cartier’s “Stacking Bar” where guests can style personalized jewelry looks using the the jeweler’s Panthère watch.
Cartier's Juste un Clou bracelet with a Panthère watch
Special guests will be in attendance over the course of the weekend. Model and actress Olivia Culpo will be at Panthère Studio during Saturday’s opening, for example.
The Cartier pop-up at Indochine will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 20-21.
“We’re coming out of our boutiques and bringing the world of Cartier downtown, to engage with our clients -- and future clients for that matter -- where they live, work and play,” said Mercedes Abramo, president/CEO of Cartier North America, in a statement.
“We’re excited to introduce the iconic Panthère de Cartier watch to a fun, fearless new generation in such a unique, experiential way with Panthère Studio,” she said.
Speaking to this new generation of consumers further, Cartier opted to partner with ecommerce player Net-A-Porter as the exclusive retail platform for the Panthère relaunch.
Prices for the Panthère de Cartier collection range from $4,000 to $123,000 (see story).