Cartier Roppongi Hills Open Its Doors

Tokyo’s prestigious address, the Roppongi Hills, welcomes Cartier as a new addition to its diverse portfolio of luxury brand stores. 

The globally renowned “Jeweller of the Kings” and the indisputable purveyor of artisanal jewellery, timepieces and finely crafted leather goods unveiled its latest store in the Country of the Rising Sun recently with a new format. 

Ensconced within 180 square metres of retail space, the store carries a sumptuous selection of jewellery, timepieces and leather goods and is the second to adopt the new format after its Cannes store in France, where the furniture and so forth can be easily and freely rearranged.

A dazzling combination of champagne gold, white and beige is used as the working palette of its façade and leads towards a vivacious and more sophisticated interior. 

On the other hand, the window displays facing the entrance are filled with products that suit the concept for that particular period. 

To convey the various concepts according to the theme, a great emphasis has been given on the lighting aspect – more than 600 lights are made of special metal formed in diamond shape and arrayed in a grid as well as spotlights that can be freely directed according to furniture and product displays on the floor.  

Being a brand that is synonymous with discreet luxury and exclusivity, the store brings forth Cartier’s exquisite shopping experience with a salon at the corner of the boutique that is luxuriated with gold-leafed material that is custom made from the prefecture of Kanazawa and sprinkled on the walls of the salon. 

This creates a tranquil and traditional air of opulence, Japanese style. In the private salon, light is artistically reflected by a hammered French mirror and can be transformed into a private space when the frosted glass doors are closed.

To celebrate its grand opening and in conjunction with the 100^th anniversary of the Cartier Tank watch, a dedicated exhibition is held from 28 October to 26 November. The exhibition is supervised by Tokto-based fashion director Tiffany Godoy and provides a unique narrative on the Tank history. 

Making it a unique exhibition one should not miss is the segmented line modelled after the Tank’s signature “Railway Track” band with 12 exhibition cases are put on display. 

These exhibited pieces are also complemented by futuristic video works revolving around the history of Tank by Parisian creative agency Golgotha and two artistic pieces – a painting entitled “Need more time” and a light object entitled “One Hundred Years of Fuuu” by Japanese artiste Shingo Katori.

In her comments on Katori’s selection, Veronica Prat van Thiel, President of Cartier Japan said, “Mr Shingo Katori has created new narratives for the entertainment industry and continues to be a whirlwind of innovation.”

Prat van Thiel further asserts that Katori’s footprints have continued to delight many fans and his forward-looking spirit resonates with the spirit of Tank.

“[Thus] I am delighted to be able to share this new step towards the next 100 years,” she said.

*Photos courtesy of Cartier

Cartier – West Walk 2F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo