Cartier and style tend to go-together, from the glamour of the prestigious Maison’s jewellery collections to its fashion accessories. Founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier the business was famously later expanded by his three grandsons Louis, Jacques, and Pierre Cartier. Louis would stay in Paris taking over from his father Alfred. In 1902 Jacques established Cartier in London. His brother, Pierre would go onto set up Cartier in New York. From these three locations ‘iconic’ pieces were designed and launched to the world. Today, Cartier is part of the Richemont luxury group.
Horology has always formed an important part of the Cartier story. One of the most collectable Cartier horological pieces is a Model A, ‘Pendule Mystérieuse’ Clock first produced around 1912. Made by clockmaker Maurice Couët for Louis Cartier in Paris. But it is Cartier’s history in making wristwatches that forms the backdrop to understanding the value of this exceedingly rare Cartier Pebble ‘Turtle’ wristwatch which Bonhams auction house have just sold for £225,250, including premium.
Cartier, Paris was amongst the first watchmakers and retailers to offer wristwatches to the market in the early 1900s including the famed Santos-Dumont, Tank, and Tonneau wristwatch designs. Fast forward to the 1960’s and 70’s and it was Cartier London’s turn to make unique and fascinating wristwatch designs. As Bonhams note about this period:
‘Cartier started to produce wristwatches in their London workshops in the 1960s at the absolute height of the ‘swinging sixties’ when London’s influence and creativity was reverberating around the world. At this time, under the oversight of Jean-Jacques Cartier*, Cartier created some of the most interesting and now sought after designs of the vintage watch world such as the Maxi Oval and the Crash. Each watch was hand crafted in the jewellery workshops before being handed to the watchmakers to make up into the finished piece. Each piece would then take approximately a week to produce ensuring their quality and by default their scarcity’.
*Note: Jean-Jacques Cartier was the great grandson of Cartier founder, Louis-François Cartier
The Cartier Crash wristwatch was launched in 1967 in London and is recognised as a highly distinctive design. Apart from the ‘Crash’ other Cartier wristwatch designs from this period and into the 1970’s included the ‘Bamboo Coussin’ as well as the ‘Pebble’ (also known as the ‘Baseball’ in the USA). It is this watch, the ‘Pebble’, that is featured in this article. The watch also has the incredibly rare addition of ‘Turtle feet’ lugs.
The Cartier Pebble ‘Turtle’ wristwatch, from 1975
The wristwatch was sold by Bonhams at their ‘Fine Watches’ sale, New Bond Street, London, on 16 June 2021, (Lot 52).
The auction estimate was set at: £150,000 to £200,000. The watch sold for £225,250 including premium.
Listed as an ‘exceptionally rare’ 18-carat gold iteration of the ‘Pebble’ model, from the London workshops of Cartier. With a London hallmark for 1975. The watch includes a Calibre. P383 manual wind movement signed Jaeger-LeCoultre.
The dial is cream with black Roman numerals conforming to shape of dial. There is a black inner minute track and blued steel sword shaped hands. The case is 18-carat gold and polished round and features ‘unusual’ small ‘turtle feet’ lugs. It has a cabochon set crown. The case back is secured by four screws and the inside of the case back is stamped ‘JC’, for Jacques Cartier. The folding clasp buckle is also made from in 18- carat gold. The watch case diameter is 36mm. As Bonhams further note about the watch:
‘The 1975 Cartier Pebble ‘turtle’ was crafted by the firm’s renowned London workshops and was the last ‘oeuvre’ to have been produced with the input of Jean-Jacques Cartier.
During this period Cartier London designed the watch that bears the nickname of the ‘Pebble’ or in the United States the ‘Baseball’. Using the simple juxtaposition of a square within a circle sums up the clear design definitions that create distinctive and original watch designs. By softening the square with rounded edges and flipping the point to twelve o’clock makes it distinctively Cartier.
There are estimated 6 large size ‘Pebbles’ in existence with five in yellow gold and one in white gold with a black dial. Only one other is known to exist with the ‘Turtle’ lugs which is in the Cartier collection making this probably the only chance to acquire this particular design’.
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