Three Decades in Time
The sophistication and luxury of Cartier watches has for 30 years paired brilliantly with the ease and elegance of shopping at Casa de Oro Jewelers, located in the island’s major resort towns.
Not unlike the process of making these fine French timepieces, it’s a relationship exquisitely crafted; first nurtured since the 1970s by the “Godfather of The Rock’s Indian community” BD Dadlani, and now maintained by his son Indru Dadlani.
“Cartier has been the guiding light and change in our merchandising,” says Dadlani Jr, who recalls that the 52-year-old family-owned company had to shift its offerings to facilitate the association with Cartier.
“We went to the Cartier agent and he basically thought that the store wasn’t high-end enough,” the Casa de Oro director tells SO a few days after the ultra-luxe brand introduced the Calibre de Cartier to our shores, (the launch event took place at the Shoppes of Rose Hall).
Ever the businessman, the senior Dadlani gave up several items in an attempt to gain synergy with “the oldest fine watch company in the world”.
“We started learning how they thought… gradually we got rid of the liquor and perfumes,” he adds, outlining that once they obtained Cartier, other brands took notice and sought an equal association with the Casa de Oro duty-free shops.
Circa the first decade of the association, the Dadlanis played host to Alain Dominique Perrin, Cartier’s international president.
What with Cartier’s trans-continental empires (think establishments in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean), Dadlani likens the obviously powerful Perrin to “the president of a country”.
“He chose Jamaica as a vacation spot for himself and his family,” Dadlani fondly recalls.
“During his time here we hosted a dinner in the family’s honour… rented a Mercedes for him, but he was such a humble man,” Dadlani shares, “he insisted that viewing Jamaica from the window of a first-rate car was no way to see the most beautiful island in the world.”
Dadlani concludes the anecdote by saying Perrin instead went by bus, meeting the island’s people and falling in love with paradise.
“When he went back to Paris he sent two first-class tickets for my wife and I to join him,” Dadlani shares. “We obliged and it was wonderful.”
The Casa de Oro boss’s story points to the personable appeal of Cartier — each relationship with a dealer is as intricate and fortified as the luxury jewellery they produce.
“Other duty-free shops have approached Cartier wanting to carry the line, but they have insisted that they’re happy with their Jamaican dealers,” Dadlani adds, pointing out that though the relationship with the watchmakers is simply golden, maintaining it has been tough, not to mention costly.
“We are supplied by Cartier Caribbean and Latin America, which is based in Miami, and sometimes we have had to send off management staff there for training…sometimes three times per year.”
Here, he credits Cartier executives Stephane LeForestier and David Horton — with whom Casa de Oro has worked for the last decade — with the vision of Cartier for the region, their knowledge of the brand, and how they impart the training.
Dadlani explains, too, the significance of last Friday’s launch of Calibre de Cartier.
“In my 44 years of business I have never seen a luxury watch product launched in Jamaica,” Dadlani outlines, noting that recognition of the local market speaks to our island’s demand as a cruise-shipping destination.
“We’re determined to work until the only ‘S’ word that follows sun, sand and sea is shopping,” Dadlani says with a laugh.
“Cartier has long distinguished itself as one of the world’s leading luxury jewellery and watch manufacturers,” notes Jennifer Griffiths, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism who spoke on behalf of Minister Ed Bartlett who was travelling overseas.
Griffiths reiterates Dadlani’s sentiments, noting that “game-changing legislative amendments will better facilitate and regulate duty-free shopping”.
“It will also provide the nearly three million stopover and cruise visitors to our shores annually with access to a wider variety of high-quality products.”
Indeed, The Rock’s discerning set are keen on the high quality of Cartier. And if last Friday’s brisk sale of half the Casa de Oro Calibre de Cartier stock (before Dadlani gave his speech to boot) is anything to go by, then perhaps the time-honoured relationship will continue to flourish.