$640,500
Cartier, France, "Bracelet Montre Tortue Or", No. 20797, movement No. 30159. Entered into the Registers on August 2nd, 1928.Exceptional fine and extremely rare, minute-repeating, 18K yellow gold Art Deco gentleman’s wristwatch. Accompanied by a Cartier certificate. two-body, solid, polished, screws on the band to secure the dedicated case back, wide bezel, concave lugs. matte silver with painted radial Roman numerals, outer minute track. "Breguet" blued steel hands. Notes This watch is the earliest known minute repeating wristwatch made by Cartier.r.A similar watch, number 22302 was sold by Antiquorum on October 19th 2002, lot 60, and is also published in "Le Temps de Cartier", by Jader Barracca, Giampiero Negretti and Franco Nencini, p. 206.In 1847, Louis-François Cartier took over Adolphe Picard's jewelry workshop at 31, rue Montorgueil in Paris. This established the House of Cartier. At the time, Napoleon III ruled France. After a period of unrest, Paris once again became alive with celebrations and balls. The splendors of the Second Empire contributed favorably to Cartier's expansion. Cartier grew as a result of the patronage of Princess Mathilde, the Emperor's first cousin, and, in 1859, moved into premises at 9 Boulevard des Ialiens, in the heart of fashionable Paris. Louis-François Cartier attracted the favors of the Empress Eugénie and formed a strong bond of friendship with Worth, the great couturier of international renown. This helped develop close c
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2004-03-24
