製造商: Cartier 年份: Circa 1991 錶殼號碼: A108’380, 084-91 型號名稱: Crash, Paris Edition 材料: 18K yellow gold 機芯: Manual, cal. 1978-2, 17 jewels 錶帶/ 錶鏈: Crocodile 錶扣: 18K yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp 尺寸: 38mm length x 23mm width 簽名: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed 配件: Accompanied by an undated Cartier certificate stamped Finex, limited edition certificate, instruction manual, additional alligator strap and fitted presentation box.
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Cartier has always been a master of impeccable design since creating their first ever wristwatch in the early 1900s. Throughout the decades, the Parisian house of luxury has continued to create timepieces with vivid case designs that romanticises horological ingenuity and timeless aesthetics.
Regarded as the most enigmatic of them all, the Cartier Crash was first introduced at their New Bond Street boutique in London in 1967. With a mysterious story packed with controversial legends along with its daring and unusual aesthetics, the Crash quickly became an icon on its own of the 20th century. While there is no conclusive answer to as what the true story of its inspiration hails from, some say that the timepiece was inspired by Salvador Dali’s melting clock from the “Persistence of Memory”, some would argue that it was inspired by a Cartier Baignoire that was deformed during a car crash. Though, regardless of what is true and what is not, the Crash is simply a standalone timepiece that will forever be in a league on its own.
An exciting era, the 1960s was a vibrant era for Cartier as branches of the establishment operated individually in Paris, New York and London. Headed by the great grandson of founder, Jean-Jacques Cartier, the innovative approach to creating extraordinary timepieces and luxury goods to cater towards their trendy clientele was inevitable.
A superlative timepiece that has remained an exclusive flagship boutique model of the firm, Cartier Paris released their own Crash in 1991 as a limited edition of 400 pieces in yellow gold followed by 50 pieces in platinum.
The present example Cartier Crash in yellow gold belongs to an example numbered 84 of a limited edition of 400 pieces from the 1991 Paris series. Offered in excellent overall condition with extremely minimal signs of use and wear and offered with its rare original certificate and its limited edition certificate as well as its original presentation box, this present example is one of the most complete and well-preserved examples to have recently graced the market.
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.