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Lot Essay
Christie's is delighted to present this incredibly rare and superbly original condition 1986 London-made Cartier Crash wristwatch. For Cartier collectors, timepieces produced in Cartier’s London workshops are beyond desirable and the present watch is, to the best of our knowledge, only the third example of the 1986 London Crash to be offered at international auction in the last 20 years. Interestingly, this version features a distinctive domed caseback rather than the more typical flat caseback, and is punched with the same number '24175' but each watch number ends with a different letter of the alphabet.
The three known examples of the 1986 Crash are:
24175A - sold Sotheby’s Geneva, 11 November 2014, lot 325.
24175B - The Present Watch
24175C - sold Christie’s Geneva, 18 May 2004, lot 103
In 1967 when the first 'Crash' watch was created, the design was not only avant-garde but positively and deliberately shocking. Available only in yellow gold and exclusively sold at the Cartier Boutique London, it is believed that only around 20 examples were originally made. Small numbers of variants were produced over the following decades until the present day. The original production Crash watches were from the 1960-1970s, and the 'second series' 1986 examples such as the present watch are quite naturally the most coveted and desirable of all.
Cartier’s motto ‘Never Copy, Only Create’ has a particular resonance when considering the extraordinarily creative wristwatches that came out of Cartier’s London workshops in the 1960s, 70s and 80’s. Each Crash watch was handmade and they were produced in extremely small numbers. Always almost impossible to obtain, the Crash’s quasi-mythical status as an instantly recognizable yet highly exclusive Cartier design has assured its eternal allure as one of the stellar rarities among all neo-vintage wristwatches and as one of the most aspirational pieces for collectors of vintage Cartier.
The Cartier ‘Crash’ Cartier’s ‘Crash’ watch is overwhelmingly an object of desire, once seen it can never be forgotten. The Crash instils in its beholder an almost magnetic fascination that is borne from all truly great design and craftsmanship, its fluid free-form shape and specially designed dial is unique among wristwatches. The ‘Crash’ watch is an exemplar of what can only be described as 'the genius of Cartier'.
For such an extraordinary creation as Cartier’s Crash watch, it is quite surprising that the story of its origins were, until recently, shrouded in mystery. The absence of any official information led to some wonderfully romantic myths surrounding the source of Jean-Jacques Cartier’s inspiration for the Crash’s design. Some claimed the idea was ignited by Salvador Dali’s painting ‘La Persistance de la Mémoire de Dali’, others believed that its form came from a melted Cartier Maxi Baignoire Allongée. It was also rumoured that one of Cartier's founders was in a car crash in the late 1960s and the resulting mis-shapen watch served as the influence for the watch. However, the true full story is now confirmed by Francesca Cartier Brickell, Jean-Jacques Cartier’s granddaughter, whose recent book The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewellery Empire was published in 2019.
1960s London was an exciting place to be and Jean-Jacques Cartier, who had instigated the making of Cartier watches in London, wanted to create a wristwatch that was truly a response to the spirit of the age. In fact, the Crash watch was the idea of Jean-Jacques Cartier and designer Rupert Emmerson, who together, after many attempts, eventually came up with a final design. The appearance of the resulting watch, named the ‘Crash’ was in complete contrast to the straight lines of the traditional Tank and oval.
The very name Cartier is a byword for the ultimate in luxury. From the dawn of the 20th century the company’s timepieces have wowed the world’s richest and most demanding clientele, not only for their mechanical excellence and ingenuity but most importantly for the perfection and confidence of their design.
The three known examples of the 1986 Crash are:
24175A - sold Sotheby’s Geneva, 11 November 2014, lot 325.
24175B - The Present Watch
24175C - sold Christie’s Geneva, 18 May 2004, lot 103
In 1967 when the first 'Crash' watch was created, the design was not only avant-garde but positively and deliberately shocking. Available only in yellow gold and exclusively sold at the Cartier Boutique London, it is believed that only around 20 examples were originally made. Small numbers of variants were produced over the following decades until the present day. The original production Crash watches were from the 1960-1970s, and the 'second series' 1986 examples such as the present watch are quite naturally the most coveted and desirable of all.
Cartier’s motto ‘Never Copy, Only Create’ has a particular resonance when considering the extraordinarily creative wristwatches that came out of Cartier’s London workshops in the 1960s, 70s and 80’s. Each Crash watch was handmade and they were produced in extremely small numbers. Always almost impossible to obtain, the Crash’s quasi-mythical status as an instantly recognizable yet highly exclusive Cartier design has assured its eternal allure as one of the stellar rarities among all neo-vintage wristwatches and as one of the most aspirational pieces for collectors of vintage Cartier.
The Cartier ‘Crash’ Cartier’s ‘Crash’ watch is overwhelmingly an object of desire, once seen it can never be forgotten. The Crash instils in its beholder an almost magnetic fascination that is borne from all truly great design and craftsmanship, its fluid free-form shape and specially designed dial is unique among wristwatches. The ‘Crash’ watch is an exemplar of what can only be described as 'the genius of Cartier'.
For such an extraordinary creation as Cartier’s Crash watch, it is quite surprising that the story of its origins were, until recently, shrouded in mystery. The absence of any official information led to some wonderfully romantic myths surrounding the source of Jean-Jacques Cartier’s inspiration for the Crash’s design. Some claimed the idea was ignited by Salvador Dali’s painting ‘La Persistance de la Mémoire de Dali’, others believed that its form came from a melted Cartier Maxi Baignoire Allongée. It was also rumoured that one of Cartier's founders was in a car crash in the late 1960s and the resulting mis-shapen watch served as the influence for the watch. However, the true full story is now confirmed by Francesca Cartier Brickell, Jean-Jacques Cartier’s granddaughter, whose recent book The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewellery Empire was published in 2019.
1960s London was an exciting place to be and Jean-Jacques Cartier, who had instigated the making of Cartier watches in London, wanted to create a wristwatch that was truly a response to the spirit of the age. In fact, the Crash watch was the idea of Jean-Jacques Cartier and designer Rupert Emmerson, who together, after many attempts, eventually came up with a final design. The appearance of the resulting watch, named the ‘Crash’ was in complete contrast to the straight lines of the traditional Tank and oval.
The very name Cartier is a byword for the ultimate in luxury. From the dawn of the 20th century the company’s timepieces have wowed the world’s richest and most demanding clientele, not only for their mechanical excellence and ingenuity but most importantly for the perfection and confidence of their design.