Condition Report
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Manufacturer: Cartier
Year: 2022
Reference No: HP101529
Case No: 12/50 and 444112
Model Name: Crash Tigrée
Material: 18K yellow gold, enamel and diamonds
Calibre: Manual, cal. 1917 MC, 19 jewels
Bracelet/Strap: Leather
Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Cartier buckle
Dimensions: 43.5mm Length and 24.mm Width
Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
Accessories: Accompanied by Cartier International Limited Warranty, Certificate Warranty card, loupe, cloth, presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
An icon of the swinging sixties and crafted by the great maker of shaped watches, the Cartier Crash remains not just one of the most radical designs born in 1967 but one of the greatest throughout the decades. With a mysterious origin of the birth of this model, rumour has it that the inspiration comes from a melted Cartier Baignoire from the fire of a car crash, others refer it to the surrealist Salvador Dali’s most recognised work, Persistence of Memory. While the tale of the timepiece is compelling and romantic, the origin was addressed in Francesca Cartier Brickell’s book, The Cartiers, where she recounts a conversation with her grandfather Jean-Jacques Cartier, about how the audacity of the design was sketched out with artisan Rupert Emmerson.

Today, the Cartier Crash has become somewhat of a cultural icon, adorning the wrists of celebrities and artists alike. It represents everything that Cartier is best known for: merging design, form and function together which transforms a timepiece beyond a "watch" and into a piece of art.

Lavish, extravagant and luxurious, the present Crash Tigrée is an embodiment of the Ethos of Cartier. Not only is it a study in design, it also merges haute joallerie with the very best of of Rare Handcrafts in horology. This version features champlevé enameling made by the team's Maison des Métiers d’Art, imbuing the case with gradient tones of blue and green, with diamonds set in between made to look like the appearance of a Tiger. Made in a 50-piece limited edition and released in 2022, the model was an instant success and sold out upon its launch.
Artist Biography
Cartier
French
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.
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