The King’s Foundation and Cartier announce three-year partnership to teach the next generation of specialist artisans for the watchmaking industry
Cartier and The King’s Foundation announce a new education programme – The King’s Foundation and Cartier: Decorative Métiers d’Art in Watchmaking – born of a shared belief in the importance of preserving rare artistry crafts and supporting the next generation of talent.
This bursary-funded partnership continues Cartier and The King’s Foundation’s long tradition of promoting creative talent. For Cartier, passing on the important skills of watchmaking is the heart of the Maison’s Manufacture and ateliers.
The postgraduate programme comprises of five months of formal training and two months of project work, including specialist skills areas including enamelling techniques such as champlevé and grisaille, and marquetry. Applications will open in Spring 2026, with the first cohort presenting their projects in a final exhibition in Spring 2027. Applicants can apply for the course from 27 April via The King’s Foundation website.
“At The King’s Foundation, we are passionate about protecting traditional crafts and we are delighted to be partnering with Cartier – who share this passion – on this exciting new education programme.
Jacqueline Farrell, Executive Director of Education at The King’s Foundation
“This course will give students a rare opportunity to learn the highly specialised skills involved in the decorative arts for watchmaking.
“By nurturing the next generation of makers in two extraordinary settings in Scotland and Switzerland, we hope to ensure that these remarkable skills are preserved and developed for years to come.”
Cartier and The King’s Foundation have opened this fellowship to UK-based jewellery and watch making graduates or emerging designers in the first three years of running their business who wish to add to their technical expertise. Based at The King’s Foundation’s headquarters, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland with residential experiences delivered at Cartier’s Maison des Métiers d’Art in Switzerland, students will be mentored by expert tutors and master craftspeople from both organisations. Students will live on site at Dumfries House during their studies with The King’s Foundation in Scotland.
“We are delighted to partner with The King’s Foundation on this important new fellowship programme. Support for creative talents in watchmaking and the métiers d’art is crucial to ensure these ancestral skills are transmitted to the next generation, where they can continue to share their singular beauty. This commitment reaffirms the Maison’s longstanding dedication to the shared human adventure of preserving, developing and, of course, celebrating these rare and traditional crafts.”
Louis Ferla, President and CEO of Cartier