Cartier, London

Cartier, London

Asymmetric

An extremely rare and unusual yellow gold and enamel asymmetrical rear-wound wristwatch, Circa 1973-74

Dial: white dial signed Cartier, blued steel épée hands

Calibre: 5½’’’ circular rear-wound movement signed Jaeger-LeCoultre, grained decoration, lever escapement, jewelled to the centre, annual balance, flat hairspring, Kif Flector shock absorber

Movement number: main plate numbered 2'008'447

Case: 18k yellow gold asymmetrically arranged lozenge-form case, translucent blue guilloché enamel bezel with dot and radial Roman numerals with exaggerated stretched XII and VI indexes, blue enamel band to case side, polished case back with central movement roundel, secured by two screws, inside case back with London hallmarks for 18k gold, date letter ’S’ for 1973-74 and [JC] Jean-Jacques Cartier punch mark, case top interior with 18k gold hallmarks and [JC] punch mark

Case number: signature script engraved Cartier London and numbered 9'613

Closure: black unsigned leather strap and 18k gold deployant buckle, script engraved Cartier London to exterior of inner blade, London hallmarks for 18k gold, date letter ’S’ for 1973-74 and [JC] Jean-Jacques Cartier punch mark, numbered 9'613

Size: 20 mm length x 20 mm width

Accessories: Cartier presentation box and travelling pouch

This highly unusual Cartier London model, dating to 1973–74, was created during the final phase of Cartier Bond Street’s most experimental period – generally considered to span from 1967 to 1974. Exceptionally rare, our research has identified only five Cartier London enamel watches from this era, including a late example dated 1976, produced at the very end of the Wright & Davies workshop period.

Despite the often avant-garde nature of the watches produced during these years, design precedents can almost always be traced back to heritage models created by Cartier Paris. Jean-Jacques Cartier remained determined to imbue his designs with a strong sense of Cartier’s DNA. This is certainly true of the present watch: not only does it adopt an asymmetric form first explored during the Art Deco era, it also draws on the gold and enamel-inlaid bezels found on decorative Cartier watches from the early twentieth century.

Another characteristic of Cartier London during this period was their playful approach to shape and contrast. Here, they juxtapose the lozenge-shaped asymmetrical case with a hexagonal dial—an interplay of forms that disrupts convention while maintaining Cartier’s signature elegance. The exaggerated elongation of the Roman numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock further reinforces this approach, a graphic flourish that adds dynamism and energy to the design. Viewed from the side, the enamel theme continues with a slim blue enamel band running along the case sides, seamlessly integrating with the overall aesthetic. The result is a watch that is both rooted in Cartier’s past and radically forward-thinking. It distils elements from the first, second, and third quarters of the 20th century, combining them into a highly original, avant-garde interpretation of Cartier’s design DNA.