Sotheby’s to Offer Largest-Ever Collection of Vintage Cartier Watches

Sotheby’s will present a collection of more than 300 vintage Cartier watches — the largest ever brought to market — at auctions in Hong Kong, Geneva and New York.

The timepieces, designed in the 20th century and accrued over a 25-year period, will be spread across Sotheby’s Important Watches sales throughout the year, the company said last week. Called Shapes of Cartier: The Finest Vintage Grouping Ever Assembled, the collection is expected to surpass $15 million in total.

The lead piece at the Hong Kong sale is a Cartier London Crash watch, a rare and asymmetrical oval wristwatch from 1987, believed to be influenced by Salvador Dalí’s melting watches in his painting “The Persistence of Memory.” Sotheby’s has given it a top price of $800,000 at the April 24 sale.

Other highlighted timepieces at that sale include a Cartier Decagonal, a gold 10-sided watch, from around 1970, an asymmetrical wristwatch called the Tank Asymétrique, and a Cartier Asymétrique with blue enamel from around 1973, one of only five made by Cartier London during this time period. Each of the three has an upper estimate of $80,000.

The auction house will hold the Geneva sale on May 10, while the New York edition will take place on June 15. Highlights from those two auctions have not been disclosed.

“The appeal of vintage Cartier lies in its ability to capture a moment in design history while remaining entirely timeless,” said Sam Hines, global chairman for Sotheby’s watches. “Whether in the bold asymmetry of the Cartier Crash watch or the refined proportions of the Cartier Baignoire Allongée, each watch reflects a unique dialogue between artistry and innovation. This collection is remarkable not only for its breadth, but for its depth — particularly in its unprecedented assembly of Cartier London pieces, many of which are among the most important examples ever to appear on the market.”

Image: Some of the Cartier watches to be offered for sale this year. (Sotheby’s)