Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 2001 Case No: A 109’763; interior stamped 19 Model Name: Crash Paris Material: 18K yellow gold, diamonds Calibre: Manual, cal. 160, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold asymmetrical Cartier deployant clasp Dimensions: 38mm length x 22mm width (to crown) Signed: Case, dial, movement, and clasp signed.
Catalogue Essay
Long a mystery, the Cartier Crash’s origins were recently revealed by none other than the granddaughter of Jean-Jacques Cartier, Francesca Cartier Brickell. Some believed incorrectly the melted timepieces in Salvador Dali’s most recognizable work, the “Persistence of Memory”, inspired its fluid shape. A more widely rumored, yet incorrect story involved a Cartier executive injured in a car accident. Their Maxi Baignoire Alongée melted from the fire that ensued, transforming its shape. In Brickell’s The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire, she writes the design was the brainchild of her grandfather Jean-Jacques Cartier and designer Rupert Emmerson. The original Crash was released in 1967 by Cartier London and since then, very limited batches of the famed design were released throughout the decades until the present day. At the time, Jean-Jacques Cartier was the head of Cartier London, and along with Emmerson, they modified a Maxi Baignoire Alongée to make it look as if the watch had been in a crash.
After the relaunch of the Crash in the 1990s, small numbers of gem-set Crash watches were made. They were highly limited in production, and do not often find their way to auction. The present example in yellow gold is further set with three rows of pavé diamonds around the sides of the case, and the crown is set with a faceted diamond, rather than a sapphire spinel. An asymmetric Crash buckle creates a cohesive image. The present Cartier Crash set with diamonds, with dial signed Paris, is offered in crisp condition, with its coordinating deployant clasp.
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.