Cartier
Tortue Chronograph Monopoussoir 'CPCP', Reference 2396 | A white gold single-pusher chronograph wristwatch | Circa 2000
Auction Closed
May 10, 02:36 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 30,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. 045 MC manual winding, 22 jewels
Case: 18k white gold, sapphire crystal display case back secured by 7 screws
Case number: 0579CC
Closure: 18k white gold Cartier deployant clasp
Size: 33 x 43 mm (width x length including lugs)
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: no
Papers: no
Accessories: none
Please note the leather strap derived from endangered species is for display purposes only and is not sold with the watch. The watch will be shipped with a Sotheby’s branded calf leather strap.
Crafted in a distinctive tortoise-inspired form, the Tortue—conceived in 1912 by Louis Cartier—stands among the earliest shaped wristwatches by Cartier, predating even the Tank. In 1928, the model evolved into the Tortue Monopoussoir, Cartier’s first chronograph, featuring start, stop, and reset functions operated via a single pusher integrated into the crown.
The present example is part of the Collection Privée Cartier Paris, produced between 1998 and 2008 as a revival of the maison’s mechanical watchmaking heritage. It is powered by the calibre 045MC, developed by Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (THA) Ebauche—a joint venture between Vianney Halter, Denis Flageollet, and François-Paul Journe.
Presented in white gold, the watch features an Art Deco-inspired dial with blue triangular accents, an outer minute track with inverted “T” markers, the Cartier signature, and an oversized Roman numeral at 12 o’clock. A refined and historically significant timepiece, this example offers collectors the opportunity to acquire one of Cartier’s most technically and aesthetically compelling creations.