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Lot Essay
The present Crash was commissioned through Cartier’s ‘New Special Order’ programme, which allows select clients to personalise certain elements of an existing design, including case materials and dial colours, within parameters established by the Maison. For the present timepiece, the client selected an exceptionally elegant combination of a white gold case and deployant clasp, a grey dial and a crown set with a vivid green tsavorite.
The dial is particularly captivating, displaying a subtle sheen that shifts from light grey to almost white according to the light, at times recalling the iridescent appearance of mother-of-pearl. The Crash’s characteristic ‘exploding’ Roman numerals are rendered in a complementary warm grey-white tone, while the tsavorite-set crown provides a striking touch of colour against the otherwise monochromatic composition.
Special-order Crash watches rarely appear publicly, making the present example, with its highly unusual grey and green aesthetic, an exceptional opportunity to acquire a particularly individual expression of one of Cartier’s most celebrated designs. Perpetually elusive and instantly recognisable, the Crash has achieved near-mythical status among collectors and remains one of the most distinctive wristwatches ever created by Cartier.
The Cartier Crash
The origins of the Cartier Crash were for many years surrounded by myths and speculation, encouraged in part by the absence of widely available documentation. Greater clarity emerged with Francesca Cartier Brickell’s 2019 book 'The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewellery Empire', based on extensive research into the Cartier family history.
Created in the vibrant cultural atmosphere of 1960s London, the Crash was conceived by Jean-Jacques Cartier in collaboration with designer Rupert Emmerson. Jean-Jacques sought to create a wristwatch that reflected the energy and creativity of the period, and after considerable experimentation, the pair arrived at a radically unconventional design far removed from the geometric forms and straight lines traditionally associated with watches such as the Tank.
With its fluid, asymmetrical case and specially conceived distorted dial, the Crash is immediately recognisable. More than half a century after its creation, its unconventional proportions remain remarkably contemporary, demonstrating the originality of Cartier London’s approach to watch design during one of the Maison’s most creative periods.
The dial is particularly captivating, displaying a subtle sheen that shifts from light grey to almost white according to the light, at times recalling the iridescent appearance of mother-of-pearl. The Crash’s characteristic ‘exploding’ Roman numerals are rendered in a complementary warm grey-white tone, while the tsavorite-set crown provides a striking touch of colour against the otherwise monochromatic composition.
Special-order Crash watches rarely appear publicly, making the present example, with its highly unusual grey and green aesthetic, an exceptional opportunity to acquire a particularly individual expression of one of Cartier’s most celebrated designs. Perpetually elusive and instantly recognisable, the Crash has achieved near-mythical status among collectors and remains one of the most distinctive wristwatches ever created by Cartier.
The Cartier Crash
The origins of the Cartier Crash were for many years surrounded by myths and speculation, encouraged in part by the absence of widely available documentation. Greater clarity emerged with Francesca Cartier Brickell’s 2019 book 'The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewellery Empire', based on extensive research into the Cartier family history.
Created in the vibrant cultural atmosphere of 1960s London, the Crash was conceived by Jean-Jacques Cartier in collaboration with designer Rupert Emmerson. Jean-Jacques sought to create a wristwatch that reflected the energy and creativity of the period, and after considerable experimentation, the pair arrived at a radically unconventional design far removed from the geometric forms and straight lines traditionally associated with watches such as the Tank.
With its fluid, asymmetrical case and specially conceived distorted dial, the Crash is immediately recognisable. More than half a century after its creation, its unconventional proportions remain remarkably contemporary, demonstrating the originality of Cartier London’s approach to watch design during one of the Maison’s most creative periods.