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Lot Essay
The present Cartier 'Paris' Crash timepiece was part of a limited run of 400 examples that were released in 1991. These timepieces were created in the Paris workshops and covet French hallmarks. Very few of these watch have publicly surfaced, and the present lot is very well-preserved, making it an ultra rare and desirable timepiece with incredible provenance.
The Cartier ‘Crash’
For such an extraordinary creation as Cartier’s Crash watch, it is quite surprising that the story of its origins were, until recently, shrouded in mystery. The absence of any official information led to some wonderfully romantic myths surrounding the source of Jean-Jacques Cartier’s inspiration for the Crash’s design. Some claimed the idea was ignited by Salvador Dali’s painting ‘La Persistance de la Mémoire de Dali’, others believed that its form came from a melted Cartier Maxi Baignoire Allongée. It was also rumored that one of Cartier's founders was in a car crash in the late 1960s and the resulting misshapen watch served as the influence for the watch. However, the true full story is now confirmed by Francesca Cartier Brickell, Jean-Jacques Cartier’s granddaughter, whose recent book ‘The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire’ was published in 2019.
1960s London was an exciting place to be and Jean-Jacques Cartier, who had instigated the making of Cartier watches in London, wanted to create a wristwatch that was truly a response to the spirit of the age. In fact, the Crash watch was the idea of Jean-Jacques Cartier and designer Rupert Emmerson, who together, after many attempts, eventually came up with a final design. The appearance of the resulting watch, named the ‘Crash’ was in complete contrast to the straight lines of the traditional Tank and oval.
The Cartier ‘Crash’
For such an extraordinary creation as Cartier’s Crash watch, it is quite surprising that the story of its origins were, until recently, shrouded in mystery. The absence of any official information led to some wonderfully romantic myths surrounding the source of Jean-Jacques Cartier’s inspiration for the Crash’s design. Some claimed the idea was ignited by Salvador Dali’s painting ‘La Persistance de la Mémoire de Dali’, others believed that its form came from a melted Cartier Maxi Baignoire Allongée. It was also rumored that one of Cartier's founders was in a car crash in the late 1960s and the resulting misshapen watch served as the influence for the watch. However, the true full story is now confirmed by Francesca Cartier Brickell, Jean-Jacques Cartier’s granddaughter, whose recent book ‘The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire’ was published in 2019.
1960s London was an exciting place to be and Jean-Jacques Cartier, who had instigated the making of Cartier watches in London, wanted to create a wristwatch that was truly a response to the spirit of the age. In fact, the Crash watch was the idea of Jean-Jacques Cartier and designer Rupert Emmerson, who together, after many attempts, eventually came up with a final design. The appearance of the resulting watch, named the ‘Crash’ was in complete contrast to the straight lines of the traditional Tank and oval.