306,800 HKD
Platinum “Crash” Cartier, Paris, “Crash” No. A 110285. Made in a special edition for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva in 1993. Very fine and extremely rare, platinum, asymmetrical wristwatch with an 18K white gold Cartier “Crash” deployant clasp. Asymmetric, massive, polished and brushed, cabochon sapphire-set winding crown, Vendome-type hooded lugs, the back with four screws. Matte white with painted radial exaggerated Roman numerals, secret signature at 7. Blued steel “épée” hands. Notes The Cartier “Crash” was first introduced in late 1967, and then released as a limited edition in 1991. The watch is considered to be inspired by Salvador Dali, the famous surrealistic painter who reached his pinnacle in the 1930s and 40s. But the real story of this watch takes place in the "Swinging London" of the mid sixties. The story is that a Vice President of Cartier London was involved in a car crash. A fire ensued and the watch was caught in the flames, resulting in its melting. The watch, a Cartier Bagnoire Alongee, which is an elongated oval in shpae, then took on the shape of the surrealistic watch in a Dali painting. Cartier designers found this watch inspiring and decided to introduce it as a new design. Thus the "Crash" watch was created. The modern version of the “Crash” was released in 1991, in a limited edition of 300 pieces worldwide. The watch was an instant success with Cartier collectors. All the modern versions are signed "Paris
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-06-02
