Summary
When the stars of the 2026 Berlinale walked the red carpet, one name kept pushing its way into the flashbulbs: Cartier. The Paris jewelry dynasty adorned necklines and wrists with Panthère earrings and diamond necklaces that immediately filled the fashion pages. No other jewelry house could appear with the same matter-of-course ease in every second photo caption that evening. Cartier has established itself in Germany as the synonym for red-carpet glamour, even before the first films had screened.
Details
But while photographers argued over the carpet looks, another story was ticking away in the background. Rolex defended its leading position in the German watch market, with resale prices and collector inquiries that no competitor came close to matching. Right behind it, Omega moved up and strengthened its reputation as the reliable number two, a brand increasingly positioned as a serious alternative for buyers who do not want to be dictated to by the Rolex hype. Patek Philippe, meanwhile, remained the emblem of understated luxury, a brand people discuss in collector circles in hushed tones rather than loudly, and precisely for that reason it keeps dominating the conversation. On the jewelry side, Tiffany & Co. returned with fresh communication for Germany, moving closer to the center of attention, while Bulgari supplied the style pages with its familiar Roman opulence and once again showed why Italian craftsmanship is so well received in German newsrooms. In parallel, attention shifted toward fragrance: Diptyque Paris launched its new “Les Rituels de Soin” line, sparking the most discussed perfume news of the past few hours, while YSL Beauty kept the same beauty circles talking with the launch of Libre Santal Couture. Swarovski used September to present new collections and to anchor itself more firmly in the minds of German jewelry buyers. Even a fashion house like Max Mara suddenly entered the fragrance world: the brand's first own perfume, accompanied by a campaign featuring Florence Pugh, caused a stir well beyond the fashion world.
- 1When the stars of the 2026 Berlinale walked the red carpet, one name kept pushing its way into the flashbulbs: Cartier.
- 2The Paris jewelry dynasty adorned necklines and wrists with Panthère earrings and diamond necklaces that immediately filled the fashion pages.
- 3No other jewelry house could appear with the same matter-of-course ease in every second photo caption that evening.
- 4Cartier has established itself in Germany as the synonym for red-carpet glamour, even before the first films had screened.
- 5But while photographers argued over the carpet looks, another story was ticking away in the background.
Conclusion
The picture that emerges is one of complexity: luxury in Germany today no longer plays out only on the red carpet, but simultaneously on the wrist, in the jewelry box and on the dressing table. Cartier may dominate the stage, but Rolex, Tiffany and the fragrance launches from Diptyque and Max Mara show that the competition for attention is raging across all channels at once, a contest that keeps the entire industry in motion.