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Lot Essay
Christie’s is delighted to present this incredibly rare 1970 London-made large rectangular ‘Twin Strap’ wristwatch. For Cartier collectors, timepieces produced in the celebrated London workshops are among the most desirable of all the Maison’s vintage creations, and the present timepiece is, to the best of our knowledge, only the second example of its kind to be offered at international auction in the last 18 years.
The present timepiece is not only a great rarity from Cartier’s London workshops, but has also survived in remarkable condition. A masterclass in simplicity of design, it nevertheless achieves a dramatic aesthetic that was completely avant-garde for a wristwatch in 1970. The elongated rectangular case, with its integral fittings for the two straps, is defined by broad, tapered sides that give the watch both substance and visual solidity, further accentuated by the oversized beaded cabochon-set crown. The painted dial, signed ‘Cartier London’, is a beautifully original creation, characterised by ‘exploding’ hour indexes and large, bold Roman half-hour numerals. Importantly, the interior of the case and both buckles bear London hallmarks for 1970 and are punched ‘JC’.
The watch is powered by a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement, numbered 1’949’458, entirely correct for a London-made Cartier wristwatch of this period. The association between Louis Cartier and Edmond Jaeger began in the early years of the 20th century and, even after Jaeger’s death, the collaboration between Cartier and LeCoultre continued for decades. Jean-Jacques Cartier was still using LeCoultre movements for his creations throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, regarding them as among the finest movements available.
Cartier’s celebrated motto, ‘Never Copy, Only Create’, has particular resonance when considering the extraordinarily imaginative wristwatches that emerged from the London workshops during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Each was handmade and produced in extremely small numbers, making them exceptionally difficult to obtain even at the time. Instantly recognisable and highly exclusive, Cartier London watches have today become stellar rarities among vintage wristwatches and some of the most aspirational creations for collectors of vintage Cartier.
London during the 1960s and 1970s was a centre of extraordinary cultural and creative energy, and Jean-Jacques Cartier, who had instigated the production of Cartier watches in London, sought to create wristwatches that truly reflected the spirit of the period. The designs that emerged from the workshops, including the legendary Crash and the present ‘Twin Strap’, were not merely avant-garde but deliberately provocative. Their extraordinary, head-turning forms stood in complete contrast to the conservative round and rectangular wristwatches that dominated contemporary watchmaking, making the present example a remarkable testament to one of the most creative periods in Cartier’s history.
The present timepiece is not only a great rarity from Cartier’s London workshops, but has also survived in remarkable condition. A masterclass in simplicity of design, it nevertheless achieves a dramatic aesthetic that was completely avant-garde for a wristwatch in 1970. The elongated rectangular case, with its integral fittings for the two straps, is defined by broad, tapered sides that give the watch both substance and visual solidity, further accentuated by the oversized beaded cabochon-set crown. The painted dial, signed ‘Cartier London’, is a beautifully original creation, characterised by ‘exploding’ hour indexes and large, bold Roman half-hour numerals. Importantly, the interior of the case and both buckles bear London hallmarks for 1970 and are punched ‘JC’.
The watch is powered by a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement, numbered 1’949’458, entirely correct for a London-made Cartier wristwatch of this period. The association between Louis Cartier and Edmond Jaeger began in the early years of the 20th century and, even after Jaeger’s death, the collaboration between Cartier and LeCoultre continued for decades. Jean-Jacques Cartier was still using LeCoultre movements for his creations throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, regarding them as among the finest movements available.
Cartier’s celebrated motto, ‘Never Copy, Only Create’, has particular resonance when considering the extraordinarily imaginative wristwatches that emerged from the London workshops during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Each was handmade and produced in extremely small numbers, making them exceptionally difficult to obtain even at the time. Instantly recognisable and highly exclusive, Cartier London watches have today become stellar rarities among vintage wristwatches and some of the most aspirational creations for collectors of vintage Cartier.
London during the 1960s and 1970s was a centre of extraordinary cultural and creative energy, and Jean-Jacques Cartier, who had instigated the production of Cartier watches in London, sought to create wristwatches that truly reflected the spirit of the period. The designs that emerged from the workshops, including the legendary Crash and the present ‘Twin Strap’, were not merely avant-garde but deliberately provocative. Their extraordinary, head-turning forms stood in complete contrast to the conservative round and rectangular wristwatches that dominated contemporary watchmaking, making the present example a remarkable testament to one of the most creative periods in Cartier’s history.