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The story of Cartiers Mystery Clocks starts with a man named Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, a French horologist and a man now recognised as the father of modern magic. Having studied clock and watchmaking, one day he came across a two-volume set of books about magic called Scientific Amusements. Mechanical magic immediately fascinated Robert-Houdin, and while he continued his career in clockmaking, magic became his obsession. Despite going from height to height with his magic and performing, he didn’t abandon clocks and automata; constantly creating unique inventions to aid his stage magic. His most lasting legacy in the world of horology is due to his experiments with glass, implementing glass structures to create “invisible” actions or hidden mechanisms. One result of this was a clock that appeared to have no gears driving…

Some of the most influential women in the world of Haute joaillerie (fine jewellery) were the famous courtesans of Paris, the mistresses of the powerful in the early 20th century. It would be a misconception to perceive these women as just mistresses of the rich and famous of the time. In truth, many of them went on to influence fashion, jewellery, art and culture. They lived flamboyant and extravagant lifestyles for the time, but, most importantly, they empowered women on an unprecedented level. Two of these courtesans had a famous rivalry. Liane de Pougy and La Belle Otero were from very different backgrounds, but they both shared a desire to escape their origins. La Belle Otero became such an icon of the Belle Époque. Born in Spain in 1868 as…