Cartier, London
An unusual yellow gold stylised asymmetrical shell-form rear-wound brooch watch, Circa 1955-56
No reserve
Auction Closed
April 24, 04:23 PM GMT
Estimate
55,000 - 70,000 HKD
Lot Details
Description
Cartier, London
An unusual yellow gold stylised asymmetrical shell-form rear-wound brooch watch, Circa 1955-56
Dial: silvered dial signed Cartier London, Roman numerals, outer chemin-de-fer minute ring, blued steel epée hands
Calibre: 6½’’’ circular Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre movement signed European Watch and Clock Co. Inc., grained finish, lever escapement, 15 jewels, annular balance with poising screws, flat hairspring, unadjusted, unnumbered
Case: 18k yellow gold case, fluted asymmetrical shell-form upper body with beaded edge and rope-twist effect bezel, gold case back mounted with rear winder, sterling silver brooch pin with barrel lock, case top signed beneath rim Cartier London, interior of case top and back each with London hallmarks and [JC] Jacques Cartier punch mark, date letter to inside back for 1955-56
Case number: inside and outside case back with hand stamped numbers • 8153 •, outside case back twice stamped with French owl import hallmarks
Size: 36.5 mm length x 33.5 mm width
Accessories: Cartier original red leather presentation case and travelling pouch
During the 1950s and 1960s there was a reaction by some designers against the classical watch shapes that had been established in the previous two decades. Unusual creative shapes were increasingly seen during the era, and Cartier in London were at the forefront of this design revolution, experimenting with a wide range of forms and styles. At its most extreme, this would lead to the introduction of the Cartier Crash watch in 1967. The London workshop also produced a variety of form watches with their cases created in the shape of objects such as books, nuts, drums and eggs.
With typically bold 1950s styling, the case of this brooch watch has an asymmetrical wedge shape. When pinned to the wearer’s clothing, the elegant shell form allows the time to be discreetly glanced at without the need to raise or touch the watch. Interestingly, the outside case back has French import hallmarks, indicating that the watch was either purchased by a French resident or, perhaps, later imported and re-sold by Cartier Paris.
François Chaille, Franco Cologni, The Cartier Collection: Timepieces, Paris: Flammarion, 2006. See p. 435 for other Cartier London form watches from the 1950s and 60s.
卡地亞 倫敦
獨特黃金不對稱貝殼形胸針錶，備錶背上弦，約1955-56年製
附帶原裝盒子及旅行袋子