Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 1965 Case No: 110 Model Name: Pendulette Mystérieuse Material: 18K yellow gold, diamond, rock crystal and agate Calibre: Manual, jeweled Dimensions: 115mm Diameter, 135mm Height and 110mm Base Length Signed: Case signed Accessories: Accompanied by Original Cartier presentation box and winding key.
Catalogue Essay
So rarely has any brand created such magical, creative and stupendous clocks such as Cartier has. The Maison has created some of the most dazzling Mystery Clocks ever made, with Maurice Coüet creating the movements and construction of the Model A in 1912. While it seems like the hands are floating and suspended, they are in fact attached by two translucent disks that are driven by a clock movement hidden within the base.
Cartier has lavishly adorned its Mystery clocks with an array of designs and materials, ranging from nephrite to jasper, to diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies. While the examples from the 1920s were more fantastical and displayed chinoiserie or Egyptian themes, examples from the 1950s onwards were more sculptural, experimenting with form and shape.
The present example rendered in yellow gold with rock crystal is a fantastic example of a Mystery Clock. With hands made of rose-cut diamonds, the bezel is made in yellow gold and further adorned with brilliant diamonds. The swirling brown agate base is beautiful and is preserved in excellent condition, with barely any signs of aging. Accompanied by its original presentation box, the clock is signed and numbered with Cartier hand stamped numbers.
With the Constitution of 1848 came a new standard for luxury in France. Founded one year prior by Louis-Francois Cartier, the house of Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making. This incredibly expensive material became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms and attitude. It helped men move from pocket watches to wristwatches, effectively making the watch much more functional and prominent in a man's overall wardrobe.
Cartier did not only touch on functionality. Inspired by a commissioned painting by George Barbier featuring a black panther at the feet of an elegantly bejeweled woman, Cartier began incorporating wild animals in his designs—most notably, Cartier Panthère rings, bangle bracelets and watches. Yet it wasn't until the late 1960s that the house of Cartier debuted their iconic yellow and rose gold LOVE collection, which includes the famous bracelet that only a special screwdriver can open.
