Cartier comes home to Indian hoi polloi

Friday, 20 February 2004, 20:30 IST
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KOLKATA: International watch and jewellery house Cartier, which raises eyebrows with its hands-off price tags, is now trying to woo the middle class Indian. Its pret-a-porter collection, which otherwise is priced between euro 4,000 and 20,000 (euro 1 = 58), can now be had for around a minimum of euro 600 (about 35,000). That may still be a small fortune for most Indian middle-class households. But Cartier honcho Olaf van Cleef said the company would not compromise on quality or design in its newly launched line of "affordable" trinkets that come with or without diamonds and other precious stones. In trying to take Cartier to Indian homes, the company, which has so far been selling only pens and watches in India, has "redefined" its classic designs and reworked its aesthetic maxims. For instance, the designs are not gender-specific. Again, the designs of bracelets and rings have been reworked. Detachable bracelets replace the fixed-for-life varieties. Rings and white or yellow gold safety pins are all on offer. Cartier has come out with a Delice of Goa line that resembles the house's renowned tutti-frutti line without its forbidding price tags, however. The Delice of Goa line, aimed at the young Indian, comes in baubles of coral, amethyst and turquoise. Cleef insists that the new line complements both ethnic and Western wear. Cartier is also targeting the Indian market with its new perfume Baiser du Dragon.
Source: IANS