Robert Hocq

"That was the situation Rupert found when he started his inquiries about the Cartier brand in which Rothmans had acquired an interest. The brand in question was registered under class 34 of the International Brand Classification, the category that included tobacco, smokers’ accessories and matches, and turned out to be a world-famous cigarette lighter. It was the elegant, oval-shaped luxury cigarette lighter that Robert Hocq, the inventor of gas cigarette lighters, had licensed under Cartier’s banner. In time this invention revolutionised the luxury goods industry. The new recipe of combining functionality with luxury caused a turnabout in the cosy, exclusive world of the coterie of prominent luxury goods houses."

"Rupert met the Parisians Robert Hocq and Joseph Kanoui, the two partners who emerged as key figures in the reunification of Cartier’s three branches. In 1972 they started taking control of Cartier Paris. Hocq, the energetic marketing expert, was the chairman while Kanoui was in charge of finance."