Le Cirque Animalier De Cartier Collection--Advertizing/marketing spin?

Just unveiled at the 2008 Salon International de la Haute Horologie (SIHH), this will be an ongoing collection and according to Serge Rabassa, Cartier's director of watch creation, it's like a travelling circus going around the world, with the first stop being Asia.

"The collection is inspired and based on the history of Cartier. We've always liked animals so we arrived at the concept that it should represent all the continents of the world. Asia was our first stop because of tradition ... this continent is very important because a number of our old pieces used Asian symbols so we decided to start here,'' says Rabassa.


Initially you have to wonder what this "collection" has to do with "Le Cirque" until you note the ball the elephant is standing on, then the Panda is inappropriate. Then you have to wonder what it has to do with animals of Asia, with the exception that they all are from there.

Then Rabassa say's, "We've always liked animals", so you have to wonder is he endorsing the circus and their use of animals, and we can rejoice and use it as a hammer against animal rights? Or has Cartier used "Le Cirque" for it's "campiness" much like Brittany Spears? Or was "Le Cirque" chose only because it travels like the watches? Or don't they have a clue why they were created, and just hope they sell.