Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 1969 Movement No: 1'997'904 Case No: 9180 Model Name: Baignoire Allongée Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 8''' 1/4, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Cartier buckle Dimensions: 24mm Width x 53mm Length Signed: Case and dial signed, movement signed Jaeger LeCoultre, buckle stamped JC. Provenance: Habsberg, Feldman, May 28, 1990
Provenance
Habsberg, Feldman, May 28, 1990
Catalogue Essay
The present model is an indelible part of Cartier's history, and represents what the brand is best known for: merging form with function. The 1970s was a time of incredible creative turmoil. Spurred by the changes in society, which was veering toward more carefree social rules, designers in every field came up with some of the most intriguing designs to ever appear in any field: from watches, to jewellery, passing through the cars, buildings and of course garment fashion, a true design revolution took place during those years.
London was undoubtedly one the epicentres of this change, and thus it is no surprise that Cartier London created during those years some of the most impressive, creative and iconic designs of its multi-century history.
The present watch is an outstanding example from the Baignoire Allongée series, launched by Cartier London during the late 1960s, and is rendered even more collectible due to its extraordinary black/blue dial. It is notably and to the best of our knowledge, only one of two known examples with this dial configuration, with the two watches being only one number apart (the other known example has a serial number of 9181). The latter currently resides in one of the most prestigious watch collections in the world. While both the case and clasp are numbered 9180, the clasp is also stamped with Cartier hallmarks dated 1969 and JC which stands for Jacques Cartier.
The present lot was purchased at auction in 1990 and has remained in the same collection since its acquisition.
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.
