In celebration of my wife’s 50th birthday, we decided to take a break and head off to somewhere new and get some ‘us’ time – something that the with pace of life today we often struggle to prioritise. We do our best to go somewhere different when we go away and while pondering the possible destinations, we realised neither of us had been to Croatia – a country that until very recently I knew little about.
However, as this was a significant birthday, I wanted to buy my wife a special watch – something she can keep forever, build memories with and eventually pass on. My wife is clearly not a watch person per-se, but I know she appreciates my love of watches and often has an opinion to share with me. She’s not the sort to pursue anything gregarious or ostentatious and overt displays of wealth are certainly not her pursuits. She is however someone who appreciates elegant simplicity. This is personified in her current watch. As a healthcare professional, monitoring her own movement and heart throughout the day, is something she enjoys however she appreciates not being constantly connected and reminded of every notification. So her daily watch is a Withings Scanwatch, offering 2 hands to show the time and a display that only comes to life to show health data when the crown is pushed. With this in mind I wanted to buy her something for her 50th that was classy, simple and yet elegant. Something that would not necessarily draw unwanted attention, but at the same time fit in perfectly in almost all environments. I was also acutely aware that as this was not going to be worn on a daily basis (and my wife is not used to winding and setting a watch) so quartz would be both a practical and beneficial choice. It seems that in general the watch world is largely divided – on one hand those that believe that a quartz watch should not be regarded as a ‘proper’ watch and those that understand the history and heritage that brands have come through over the last centenary of watchmaking and warmly embrace a purposeful quartz implementation. Moreover I was also aware that I was not buying for myself – something that I think we all forget from time to time as we are trying not to fill the intention of a gift with our own bias’s or preferences.
With all of this in mind I realised that not only did the Cartier Tank embody all that I (on behalf of my wife) was looking for, it was from a brand with true deep heritage in the watch industry, as well as being relatively fiscally and substantially accessible – no waiting lists, no precocious expectations about my purchasing history qualifying me to buy the watch in question, and no financial ruin for the purchase. Fortunately I had the opportunity for my wife to try on a Cartier Tank previously under the guise of wanting to take some photographs of one on a wrist – which allowed me to test the waters so to speak and watch her reaction to seeing and wearing it. Although I didn’t buy it at this point, it certainly helped me to confirm my choice and be sure she would be pleased with it. It also seemed obvious to me to make sure I got an alternative strap option so that my wife can switch this out to suit her attire. Fortunately Cartier adopts the use of quick release spring bars in their straps which allows customers a tool-free experience in this regard. This allows you to take a few extra straps on holiday without being accosted at the airport for carrying something ‘pointy’ in your luggage. I chose Cartier’s Taupe strap and an additional buckle to simplify strap changes. Giving my wife her new watch before the trip meant she would have the opportunity to build and associate memories throughout our travels.
As I was growing up most of my holidays saw me either at home here in England or travelling to France with my family. Since getting married I have travelled more extensively, however usually to more distant locations which has led to a distinct lack of appreciation of countries and cultures closer to home here in Europe (something my wife and I aim to rectify!) As we were planning a trip, we both wanted to travel somewhere that was steeped in history and that neither of us had been to before – allowing us to discover somewhere new together.
We decided to share our time between two of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Croatia – Split and Dubrovnik (both UNESCO world heritage sites) and as this was going to be more of a trip of exploration rather than sitting on the beach, we decided to book a couple of AirBnB’s as this would provide us with the freedom to roam and experience the local culture.
Dubrovnik is one of the oldest cities in the world. It boasts the oldest public healthcare system in the world and as a consequence the pharmacy there has been open since 700 AD. It’s very clean, and the people are some of the warmest and friendliest people we’ve met. The old city of Dubrovnik itself relatively small and its easy to walk round the city in a few hours – if you have the chance to go (and I would recommend you should) I would recommend the roof top walk where you can explore the walls and views over the rooftops of the city. Our AirBnB looked out over the cathedral square which felt an almost idyllic scene in the evenings.
Split’s was founded centauries before by the Roman Emperor – Diocletian who built himself a retirement home (the Diocletian Palace) and moved there in 303AD. Split is much larger than the old city of Dubrovnik. Diocletian shipped spoils of his empire over a thousand miles from Egypt to adorn his palace – including a sphynx that was between 1-2 thousand years old when Diocletian acquired it and you can still see this within the palace grounds. An exploration of the city on foot will reveal an ancient city which has largely survived thousands of years and steeped in history. Climb the tower at Cathedral of Saint Domnius and you will have views across the whole city, harbour and surrounding landscape. Further exploration will have you find St. Martin’s Church through an innocuous doorway which stretches back to the 6th centaury and has been built into the wall that surrounds the city itself – spanning only a few feet wide, its so narrow there are places you can touch both the inner and outer walls at the same time.
Over ten days relaxing and exploring Split and Dubrovnik we couldn’t have had a better experience. Not only were the cities rich in history and beautiful scenery, but wherever we went the food, hospitality and people were what truly made us feel so incredibly welcome without exception. Spending time in these two beautiful old cities certainly delivered a sense of conviction that we should spend more time exploring and adventuring – discovering future memories and spending time immersed in cultures rich with history. Here lies the personal tension between the discovering new places, and returning to destinations enveloped with fond memories – Croatia is now a place that we’re deeply fond of and looking forward to returning to in the future.
The simplicity and timeless elegance of the Cartier Tank seemed to be perfectly at home in two cities with nearly two thousand years of history and heritage. The Cartier Tank embodies an almost timeless design – whether we were exploring the rooftops of Dubrovnik, eating at restaurant 360 (Dubrovnik’s Michelin star restaurant overlooking the old city) or perusing the streets of Split and hanging out in café’s – the Tank manages to stay elegant and cool at the same time, never seemingly out of place.
Over ten days we spent our time exploring the history of two incredible cities around some of the most warm, generous and welcoming people building memories and taking them with us. I know every time my wife wears her Tank she fondly remembers our time in Croatia and looks forward to building more memories through future adventures that she can be reminded of every time wears her watch.
The Cartier Tank is available here www.cartier.com or other authorised dealers.
