Cartier Is Gen Z’s Rolex, Thanks to Taylor Swift

When Taylor Swift announced her engagement to Travis Kelce, it wasn’t just the huge diamond ring that sent fans into a frenzy. For watch enthusiasts, it was the rare gold and diamond Cartier timepiece she was wearing.

The superstar sporting the discontinued Santos Demoiselle cemented the brand as Gen Z’s most wanted, upending the watch market in the process. Cartier is at the forefront of a shift to smaller, dressier models, disrupting the decade-long dominance of chunky sports watches, and helping its owner, luxury conglomerate Cie Financiere Richemont SA outperform the industry’s biggest names, including Rolex, this year.