Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 1998 Reference No: 2396 Case No: 0582CC Model Name: Collection Privée Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir Material: 18k white gold Calibre: Mechanical, 045 MC, 22 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Burgundy Cartier crocodile leather strap Clasp/Buckle: 18k white gold Cartier folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 34 mm. width Signed:Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
The present watch is fitted in a tortoise-inspired tonneau-shaped case, designed by pioneering designer Louis Cartier in 1912. The watch features a single-button chronograph mechanism and all functions can be operated through the sapphire-set crown. Presented in excellent overall condition, the present watch is today one of the most desired models of the Collection Privée.
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.