Cartier, Paris

Alexander Barter, The Watch: A Twentieth-Century Style History, London: Prestel, 2019. See p. 40 for similar design but with blue guilloché enamel bezel, the engine-turned dial decoration also comparable to present watch.

One of the earliest wristwatch designs produced in series by any company, the round Cartier wristwatch with cabochon-set lugs and crown was first introduced by the firm in 1906. At a time when the majority of wristwatches were mere adaptations of the traditional pocket watch, this was a model unashamedly designed for wrist wear. It is the model’s lugs which are particularly striking. Most early wristwatches had simple wire attachments to secure a wrist strap, these were often soldered onto cases that were indistinguishable from the cases of small pocket watches. Here the lugs are a prominent and integral feature of the model, no only do they serve a practical function, but they also embellish the design - their cabochons complimenting the rich lustre of the enamel bezel. Stylish, so-called moiré straps made from ribbed black silk were often stitched onto the lugs. To ensure an elegant profile suitable for wrist wear, not only does the watch incorporate a slim movement, but rather than the thicker and more traditional enamel dial, a thin silver dial plate is used.