Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 2006 Reference No: 2802H Case No: 224 Material: 18K pink gold Calibre: Manual, jeweled Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18K pink gold Cartier deployant clasp Dimensions: 43.4mm Length and 29.4mm Width Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Cartier Certificate, product literature, presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
-Originally introduced in 1906, the Cartier Tonneau is a barrel-shaped wristwatch precursory to tastes of the Art Deco era that would soon follow. Both bold and proportionally ideal, today’s Tonneau remains one of the most iconic and elegant timepieces, retaining its original grandeur parallel to its predecessors.
-The present time-only Cartier is known as the Tonneau XL and comes from the CPCP collection. It is in an incredibly rare variant and research shows that it was most probably made in a limited series. It is notable for its large size, measuring 43mm in length and 29mm in width. The Cartier CPCP design codes are immediately visible due to the guilloché rose dial and blue steeled hands.
-Presented in excellent condition with crisp hallmarks and engravings, the timepiece is replete with its original certificate and presentation box.
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.
