Cartier and The King’s Foundation have announced a new three-year education program, The King’s Foundation and Cartier: Decorative Métiers d’Art in Watchmaking, born of a shared belief in preserving rare artisan crafts and supporting the next generation of creative talent. Applications open on 27 April via The King’s Foundation website, with the first cohort presenting their final projects in an exhibition in Spring 2027.
What the Program Covers
The postgraduate program comprises five months of formal training and two months of project work, covering specialist skills including enameling techniques such as champlevé and grisaille, and marquetry, decorative crafts that sit at the very heart of high watchmaking. Students will be based at The King’s Foundation’s headquarters at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, with residential experiences delivered at Cartier’s Maison des Métiers d’Art in Switzerland, where they will be mentored by expert tutors and master craftspeople from both organizations.
Who Can Apply
The fellowship is open to UK based jewelry and watchmaking graduates, or emerging designers within the first three years of running their own business, who wish to deepen their technical expertise. The program is bursary-funded, meaning accepted candidates will receive financial support to participate, removing a significant barrier for emerging talent who may otherwise be unable to access training of this caliber. The combination of Scotland based residential study and hands-on time at Cartier’s own Swiss ateliers gives students a rare dual perspective on both the heritage and the living practice of decorative watchmaking.
Why This Partnership Matters
For Cartier, passing on the skills of high watchmaking is central to the identity of its Manufacture and ateliers, and the partnership with The King’s Foundation extends a long standing tradition of promoting creative talent together. For the broader luxury industry, the program addresses a very real skills gap. Decorative métiers d’art like enameling and marquetry are among the most endangered crafts in watchmaking, requiring years of practice to master and facing an acute shortage of trained practitioners. By formalizing a funded, structured training pathway at this level, Cartier and The King’s Foundation are making a direct investment in the long term survival of skills that define the highest tier of the craft.
