CLOCHE "BELLE PÊCHE" MODEL, REF. 4338, CASE NO. 505574DY AND 6

The Cartier Cloche first appeared around 1920 as a watch-brooch, before becoming a wristwatch in the early 1920s. Its defining feature is an asymmetrical, bell-shaped case with the dial rotated 90 degrees, so the XII sits next to the crown—a clever layout that allows the watch to be used as a miniature desk clock. The Cloche has appeared only sporadically over the decades, making it one of Cartier's more elusive shaped designs.

The present example is the "Belle Pêche" limited to just 10 pieces, created through Cartier's New Special Order programme for The Horology Club, the Hong Kong-based watch collectors' community. The nickname translates to "Beautiful Peach," a reference to the dial's warm peach colour, inspired by the 90th anniversary Santos Dumont. The centre of the dial carries a twisting guilloché pattern, first seen on a 2021 Santos Dumont XL, adding texture and depth. Black Roman numerals are set against a burgundy railway track—a nod to Cartier's signature colour and the ruby cabochon found on its platinum pieces.

A discreet detail lies within the track: at the indices for 8, 5, and 2, with the letters T, H, and C, representing both the initials of The Horology Club and Hong Kong's telephone country code. It is a watch that unites Cartier's historic design language with a modern collector community's vision—and one where every detail carries meaning.