Results for Cartier

We brought Cartier obsessives to the Melbourne Boutique - here’s what happened

Time+Tide descended on the Cartier Boutique at 90 Collins Street, Melbourne — and brought along some of the most passionate Cartier fans.

Bring a Loupe: An Omega Ranchero, A Cartier Santos Ghost, An Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar, And A ZRC Grands Fronds

Next week is October. October. Even for someone who literally has an ongoing documentation of each week through this column, that is mind-blowing. I hope whatever baseball team you're stoked about is doing well—my Twins fell off so long ago that I haven't even been paying attention—and I also hope autumn's making a decent entrance for you wherever you are. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Omega Suverän sold for 9,600 DKK, the Universal Genève Cabriolet for 2,400 CHF, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas remains available, and the Zenith chrono for €3,000. Strays Photo courtesy of Huntington Company. Hermès watches hardly go unnoticed, but I love that some of their models still fly a good bit under the radar. The Cape Cod, for instance, is fantastic—interesting and elegant without being too weird. This one, the Grandes Heures, features an hour wheel that allows the hour hand to travel differently based on its dial position, meaning it covers more distance from 9-10 than from 10-11, and while that's not any foundation-shaking complication or horological advancement, it is, inarguably, very cool.  While the breadth of variations makes it hard to argue for any Datejust being superior, I'd argue the Rolex Boiler Gauge models deserve consideration in the top tier, and this one looks fantastic. I somehow went from never having seen the Omega Seamaster ref 196.0054 to spending an embarrassing amount of time looking into it, which is my very public plea for help and for ...

Sotheby’s Sets Record Price for Cartier and Quartz

The Cartier Cheich is one of the jeweller’s most unusual, and rarest, creations. Originally conceived as a prize for winners of the Dakar Rally during the years when the race was sponsored by Cartier, the Cheich was modelled on the rally’s emblem that is a stylised bust of a Tuareg tribesman wearing a headscarf – cheich is French for “sheikh”. Four originals in yellow gold were made, and amongst the recipients were Thierry Sabine, the founder of the Paris Dakar Cartier Challenge, and Gaston Rahier, a driver who won the rally in 1984 and 1985. Sabine’s death in 1986 put an end to Cartier’s sponsorship of the rally. Rahier’s watch was sold by Sotheby’s in 2022 for a little over €1 million with fees. But some 25 years after the original Cheich watches were made, Cartier made one more, in white gold no less. And that watch just sold for US$3.38 million including fees at Sotheby’s stellar Hong Kong auction, making it the most valuable Cartier watch ever sold publicly – and also the most valuable quartz watch ever sold. The result underlines the continuing demand for distinctive Cartier form watches, a category that includes the iconic Crash. The Cheich in white gold was originally commissioned by Giorgio Seragnoli, an heir to an Italian packaging dynasty who was once owned the world’s largest collection of Cartier timepieces, primarily wristwatches in white metals. A native of Bologna, sMr Seragnoli unfortunately exhausted even his considerable fortune...

Auctions: Rare And Unique White Gold Cartier Wristwatch Fetches Record $3.4 Million At Hong Kong Auction

A Cartier Cheich, a rare wristwatch awarded as a prize to consecutive Paris-Dakar Rally winners, sold for a record $3.4 million in Hong Kong, becoming the most expensive Cartier wristwatch sold at auction. The record price underscores the surging interest among collectors and speculators for rare models and designs by the Paris-based watch and jewelry maison. One of only five known examples of the Cheich, the watch was produced by Cartier as a one-off, unique piece in 2010, cased in white gold and powered by a quartz movement.  Sold by Sotheby's on the first day of its 'Important Watches' auction in Hong Kong on Friday, the watch spurred a nine-minute bidding war with online, telephone and in-person bidders pushing the price to HK$26,520,000 including fees or about $3,413,124, Sotheby's said in a statement. The result eclipses the $2 million paid for a London Cartier Crash from 1991 at Christie's Geneva auction in May. That watch bested another Crash sold by Sotheby's just weeks before for about $1.99 million.  Cartier Cheich in white gold sold for about $3.4 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong auction.Image: Sotheby's Founded in 1978 by motorcycle racer Thierry Sabine, the Paris-Dakar Rally was a legendary motor sports race of endurance, navigation and mechanical engineering, spanning some 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles) from the French capital across the Sahara desert to Dakar, Senegal. An early sponsor of the race, Cartier and the brand's then-president, Alain-Dominique P...

Talking Watches: With Pusha T -  On Rolex, Rap, And The Luxury Of Time

In a Pusha T verse, every detail is chosen with purpose. Watches have long been a constant in his lyrics–they are part status symbol, part cultural shorthand, and always a reflection of how closely he pays attention. This kind of specificity is central to his writing, and it is also the clearest way into a watch collection that is not only bold in appearance, but governed by a set of standards. He describes himself as a student of culture, and over the years, that knowledge shaped a specific set of rules. Pusha buys through authorized channels, favors factory-set stones, and rejects aftermarket work. His lyrics about ruined Pateks and Cartier bust-downs are not simply jokes; he sees them as a kind of tutorial on what to do and what to avoid. Many of his watches are unapologetically gem-set, but the distinction is not between understated and extravagant. It is between an original idea and an imitation of one. Pusha's collection of Rolexes he brought that day. Then there is the waiting. Pusha named Daytona for what the watch represented to him: the luxury of taking the time required to get something right. The same principle now defines how he collects. Some watches arrived when they could still be bought from a display case. Others took years of patience. The watches on the table connect those two eras, revealing a collector whose access may have changed, but whose standards have not. This is Talking Watches with Pusha T. Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 16618LN With Black Dial...

History of the Cartier Santos: the first pilot watch, and arguably the first proper wristwatch

Louis Cartier built it in 1904 for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was fed up fumbling for his pocket watch mid-flight. 121 years later the square case with exposed screws is still the sharpest dress-sports piece on the shelf. Here is how it got there.

Hands On: Cartier Privé Les Opus

The many shapes of Cartier were on full display at Cartier during Watches & Wonders, where the brand released the Privé Les Opus, a trio of platinum models with burgundy accents to mark the 10th anniversary of the brand’s Privé collection. The Crash Squelette is the only all-new model — with a new open-worked calibre — and the only limited edition. The Tank Normale and Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir tread little new ground, but the platinum-and-burgundy livery is easy to like, and manages to be both distinctive and discreet. Initial thoughts Cartier occupies an enviable position in the luxury watch landscape, being the only brand among the top 10 luxury watchmakers (by revenue) with a sizable jewellery business. Perhaps for this reason, it’s also the only brand to achieve this level of success primarily on the basis of design, rather than technical innovation or haute horlogerie complications. The Opus trio proves why. Cartier earned its reputation as the “watchmaker of shapes” over more than a century, and today enjoys a rich back catalogue of designs. The three models chosen to represent the 10th anniversary of the brand’s high-end Privé line — the Tank Normale, the Crash, and the Tortue Monopoussoir — are among the fan favourites. The Tank Normale — especially on this bracelet — is one of my favourite Cartier models, offering a truly vintage look with modern build quality. Reflecting Cartier’s growth as an industrial watchmaker, each watch...

Bring a Loupe: An Alpina-Gruen Techni-Quadron, A Universal Genève "Eric Clapton," A Cartier "Bebe Guillotine," And More

You're halfway through August, Baller. August. The mind positively reels that yesterday saw the first pre-season NFL games, and soon enough even pope-themed hats and baseball games will be in the rearview, and we'll be pulling coats from closets (for those of us in the northern latitudes, anyway). Scorekeeping from last week—the Zodiac Poor Man's Heuer sells tomorrow, the Seiko 7018 passed, and the JLC Master Calendar Meteorite is still available, as is the Patek 5000R. For those who want to know more about the 5000, I strongly encourage you to read this phenomenal article by Edouard Henn on Collectability about the model, which I would have linked last week had I been bright enough to know it existed. Strays Photo courtesy of Interencheres. This Tissot Antimagnetique is worth a serious look, even though it's missing its second hand. Certainly, we'll all be missing plenty of original parts when we're as old as the watch (also, as cool as the model is, it's not so precious that its value would be dinged too much by sourcing a close-enough replacement). If that Harwood from last week's strays got your attention, here's another lovely one. Cartier Pashas have never quickened my pulse, but man oh man, this one's got its hooks in me. Solid gold Polerouter? Solid gold Polerouter. Speaking of gold, this Gubelin is both a) nothing all that special and b) impossibly beautiful, and if those gold offerings still aren't enough for you, fine, here's a Patek 3800/1 from 1995 that come...

My National Day Watch: the amazing Cartier Santos Chronograph

As Singapore celebrated its National Day on August 9, I had the Cartier Santos Chronograph as a fitting companion for the Sunday.

Timex 1976 Lexington Reissue Inspired Is a Sharp $149 Steel Cartier Tank Alternative

Timex has taken the 1976 Lexington Reissue Inspired in the direction I wanted most: away from gold tone and into polished steel. The new TW2Y88200 keeps the compact rectangular shape, vertically brushed silver dial and Roman numerals of the earlier model, then adds metallic blue hands for a little contrast. It is currently listed as a $149 pre-order in the United States, which puts it firmly in the part of the market where a good design matters more than a prestigious logo. A rectangular watch with the right instincts I am a fan of rectangular watches because they make even a simple time-only watch feel considered. A round case can hide lazy proportions. A rectangle cannot. Every line is visible: the width, the length, the dial margins, the shape of the numerals and the relationship between case and strap. That is why the Cartier Tank remains such a powerful reference point, and why an affordable watch needs more than Roman numerals to feel convincing. Timex’s silver dial, blue hands and Roman numerals look clean. This Timex is not trying to be a counterfeit Tank. It earns its place as a nice alternative because it uses the same broad language of a slim rectangular case, an orderly dial and a leather strap, then keeps a personality of its own. If you enjoy this corner of watch design, I have also ranked the Cartier Tank alternatives that have stayed in my collection. The Lexington belongs in that conversation because it offers a clean steel option at a price that makes o...

The Cartier Tank Look Comes to an Affordable Timex in Steel and Blue

Timex brings the 1976 Lexington back in polished steel with blue alpha hands. At $149, it's the most affordable honest take on the Tank look we've seen.

Cartier brings its Santos de Cartier Chronograph down to a more favourable “Large” size

The latest Cartier Santos de Cartier Chronograph drops down from XL sizing to Cartier's large size for more refined proportions.

Cartier Ballon Bleu Review: A Guide To Cartier's Quirky Round Watch Collection

After nearly two decades and a number of line extensions, the jeweler-watchmaker's round-cased collection has found a solid footing in the market.More

Ranking my CARTIER tank alternatives

Few watch designs in history carry the timeless, effortless elegance of the Cartier Tank. Ever since Louis Cartier introduced the rectangular silhouette in 1917, it has been the gold standard for dress watches. But you don’t need to drop thousands of dollars to get that iconic Art Deco aesthetic on your wrist.  There is a specific kind of magic in the rectangular watch silhouette. It is an aesthetic that feels timeless, refined, and effortlessly chic, a design language that speaks of old-world elegance without being loud.  While the legendary Cartier Tank remains the gold standard for many, I have found that my own journey into watch collecting has been defined by finding that same “Tank” spirit in pieces that tell their own stories. Over the years, I have carefully curated a collection of rectangular timepieces that have become constant companions in my daily rotation. They aren’t just accessories, they are long-term partners that have seen me through countless days. Here is how I rank my personal collection of “Tank” alternatives. The Undisputed Champion: Seiko V115-0BE0 (SUP250) When searching for the ultimate homage to the Tank style minus the steep price tag, the Seiko V115-0BE0 (SUP250) easily emerges as the winner. Having spent years putting this watch through its paces, its status as my top pick is unquestionable. Its exceptional craftsmanship, refined finishing, and brilliant light play make it the ultimate spiritual heir to that luxury holy grail w...

Hands On: Cartier Santos-Dumont Obsidian is Volcanic Class

Amongst Cartier’s crowd favourites launched this year is a new take on its elegant aviator’s watch, now upgraded with a mesh-link bracelet. The standout is the Santos-Dumont LM Obsidian that matches the yellow gold case and bracelet with a dial that is actually volcanic glass. This sticks to the classic Santos-Dumont template with a slim case containing an even slimmer Piaget movement, but the dial gives this a distinctly different feel from the conventional versions of the model. And unusually given the dial material, this is regular production. Initial thoughts Even though the original 1904 Santos was conceived as a professional’s “tool” watch of sorts, the modern-day Santos-Dumont is undoubtedly a dress watch, but one with a little flair. The form case and screws on the bezel set it apart from the average dress watch that is usually plain. This takes the design to another level with the bracelet and obsidian dial. The bracelet is a little showy since it is entirely yellow gold, but the links are fine enough that it still feels elegant. Similarly, the dial is high contrast but arguably passes as a dress watch. The case is compact and slim, so this still passes as a dress watch, one that is both ostentatious and elegant. If anything, I would have wished it was one size larger. This, along with the other variants of the Santos-Dumont on a bracelet, is in the “LM”, or “large model”, format. At under 32 mm in diameter, the case size is reminiscent of a vint...

Australia’s Largest Exhibition of Cartier is on in Melbourne, Right Now

One To Watch: The Cartier Prize For Watchmaking Talents Of Tomorrow

Cartier has always chosen to tell time a little differently. From the first Santos wristwatch in a distinct square case, to its compelling mystery clocks, the unorthodox Tank à Guichet, the counter-intuitive Santos-Dumont Rewind, and the magic of the Masse Mystérieuse, it's a mainstream maison that has rarely approached the art of telling time by running with the pack.  Roy Davidoff (left), a vintage watch dealer and expert, and Kari Voutilainen (right), the renowned independent watchmaker, were among the panel of judges tasked with ranking the unique projects submitted for the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow.  That unique sensibility is at the heart of the Cartier Prize For Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow. It's an accolade that's been awarded 28 times over three decades. But Cartier has rarely spoken about the initiative that began way back in 1995.  For its latest edition, we were given a glimpse into the process in which watchmaking students from Switzerland, France, and Belgium were tasked with creating a timepiece based on the motion of a pendulum and the theme of "reading and understanding time differently."  The resulting creations from 11 finalist watchmaking students, tasked with building a piece in just 80 hours over three months, displayed both technical prowess and artistic expression, conveying bold and surprising approaches to telling time within the Cartier design language.  Prizes were awarded at a ceremony in La Chaux-de-Fonds at C...

Recap - The 28th Edition of the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow

Several initiatives exist to promote the development and future of watchmaking, as well as to discover and support the talents of tomorrow. This is crucial to nurture the next generation of watchmakers and protect the art we love and share here on MONOCHROME. Among these initiatives is one that is particularly inspiring, the Cartier Prize […]

The Power of Color: A New Dial Shade Joins the echo/neutra Rivanera Collection

I got my start in the watch industry in the pre-owned and vintage arena. With that entry point, the foundation of my horological knowledge was based largely in the traditional sector (think the big three, Cartier, Heuer, Omega, and the like). As my career path has led me to watch journalism, my appetite has expanded exponentially, but I have to confess: more traditional brands are still my safe space if you will. In my years contributing to Worn & Wound, I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone in the most rewarding way – discovering a vast world of watchmaking beyond traditional brands that regularly energizes and surprises me. So, once again, a brand came across my virtual desk that was new to me despite being a staple at Worn & Wound: echo/neutra. As I scrolled through the stories on the site, I landed on one by Zach Kazan from 2024 detailing the launch of the collection that’s expanding today, the Rivanera, and I immediately noticed his sentiments on the element of surprise, “those moments of surprise, seeing or reading about a watch that you didn’t expect or couldn’t have conceived of.”Just like his first impressions of the echo/neutra Rivanera collection two years back, I too am surprised by how instantly drawn I was to this model in its latest incarnation. Today, the Ros’Antico joins the lineup, bringing both a liveliness and a softness to the collection with a simple touch of color. The surprises continue with how profoundly color can ignite a new pe...

In Loving Memory Of Om Malik, Friend, Writer, Venture Capitalist, And Ever The Believer

I made a decision long ago to never use Hodinkee as a personal platform – rather, to keep it to professional writing about things that impact people who come here solely for watches. Today, I may be breaking my own rule, but sometimes, some things are worth it – or in this case, some people. Om Malik died yesterday at Stanford Hospital after a prolonged fight with issues related to his heart.  For those who don't know Om, he was born in India, educated in the UK, and was one of the first people to take legacy media brands online (he was a founding member of the Forbes.com team in 1997!) After that, he launched an early and important digital business publication called GigaOm, as well as contributing to the likes of Business 2.0, the WSJ, and more. He is credited with being among the first people to cite companies that would shape the world, such as Twitter, and being part of their fabric at times. One such example is Hodinkee.  Om reached out to me via Twitter in January of 2012. I went back tonight and checked. In those early emails, we talked mostly about watches – he attended an event I hosted for the Harry Winston Opus 12. And another for the Cartier ID2. He came to Nomos launch parties (before they were in the USA), and the same for Tudor. He was early and awesome with Hodinkee, and watches for that matter, but that's not why I'm writing this post tonight. Om practicing his love of time lapse photography with me on a trip to the Bay Area. Om changed my life. ...

Cartier Watchmaking Prize Winners Announced

The 28th edition of the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow has announced the winners of the annual competition, which seeks to recognise and nurture promising young watchmakers and technicians. In total, six prizes were awarded to students from France and Belgium. Aymeric Peters won first prize in the Apprentice Watchmakers category for “Silence Choisi” Understanding the Cartier Prize The watchmaking industry faces a well-known shortage of young talent, and awards like the Cartier Prize, the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition, and the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives enhance the appeal and visibility of the profession in a meaningful way. The theme of the 28th edition of the Cartier Prize was “Shifting the Balance: Reading and Perceiving Time Differently”. This theme explains why almost all entries featured heavily abstracted time displays. Layla Sluysmans tied for second prize in the Apprentice Watchmakers category with her creation “Nymphéa” The format of the Cartier Prize differs from that of other similar awards. Finalists were chosen based on sketches and presentations, and were given just 80 hours (over three months) to complete their creations with the help of dedicated mentors. To ensure a level playing field, each candidate is provided with a Cartier cal. 012 alarm clock movement and a CHF500 budget cap. Eléonor Picciotto presided over the ceremony, and the prizes were awarded by a jury comprised of Roy Davidoff, P...

Auctions: French Soccer Legend Zinédine Zidane Talks Watches And Why He's Offering His First Cartier To A Special Charity Sale

Zinédine Zidane is football (soccer) royalty in France. Having played for his home country in the World Cup three times, he led Les Bleus to victory in 1998 and made the final in 2006, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.  Photo credit: Alex Teuscher Before becoming a manager coach at Real Madrid, Zidane, known as 'Zizou', also had a prestigious career in professional soccer as an attacking midfielder at a host of European clubs, including Juventus. Widely regarded as one of the best players in history, he rose to prominence early in his career in the French Ligue 1 at FC Girondins de Bordeaux. And it was in Bordeaux that Zidane bought his first proper watch, a Cartier Pasha. Now that watch will be sold at a charity auction for ELA International as part of the Watches For ELA auction by Christie's on November 9 in Geneva. Zidane has been a supporter of ELA International - the European Leukodystrophies Association - for a quarter century. The non-profit organization is dedicated to defeating leukodystrophies—rare, genetic diseases that destroy the central nervous system. They fund medical research, support affected families, raise public awareness, and advocate for universal newborn screening. With the 2026 World Cup in full swing and on North American soil, we asked Zidane about his passion for watches, his support for ELA International, and why this Cartier has special meaning for the French soccer legend.   Zidane's Cartier Pasha.Photo credit: Al...

The Cartier Tortue: A Case for Elegance

Chanel’s Chessboard is a Modern Métiers d’Art Masterpiece

Chanel christened its watch collection for the year “Coco Game”, a theme that informs the pixellated video game motifs found on some watches and also the flagship creation that is the endgame as such things go. The Chessboard is self descriptive, but it is much more than an 8×8 board with 32 chess pieces. A one-off creation that is already sold, the Chessboard is impressive by the numbers alone: 1.5 kg of gold, 110 carats of diamonds, and a retail price of over US$4 million. But where is the watch you might ask? There are two: each of the queens is actually a pendant watch with a tiny dial on its base, and the set is delivered with a single chain for the winner to wear a pendant watch. The queen takes the form of Coco Chanel dressed in the brand’s signature tweed suit Initial thoughts I’ve always been a fan of Chanel’s impossibly extravagant objet d’art, which in past years have ranged from a musical automaton clock to a planetarium-clock. This year’s one-off creation trumps them all in scale, complexity, decoration, and of course price. In tangible terms, the Chessboard is clearly a trophy for the home or office, or a game board for a wealthy chess fan. Ridiculously lavish board games and toys have a long history — jewellers like Faberge and Cartier made such items in times past. In fact, some of Faberge’s fabled Imperial Easter Eggs contained surprises that were actually tiny toys. The Chessboard, however, is distinctively 21st century in both material...

Max Maertens Dishes on His Creative Process in Designing the New MB&F; HM12

I first met Max Maertens at Dubai Watch Week last year. The young designer already has a storied career under his belt, working on projects with brands like Chopard, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, and MB&F;, where he started out as an intern. Here, something clicked. For several years, Maertens firmly fell in the “F” or “friends” category of the brand, collaborating with MB&F; and L’Epée on the T-Rex clock before being given free rein to create the TriPod and the Orb. But his legacy with MB&F; is only just getting started. Through these projects on several horological objects, the brand’s founder Max Busser saw something special and took him under his wing as his protégé and future successor. Today, we see Maertens’ first take on a more traditional MB&F; wristwatch – well…. sort of. Making its grand entrance is the HM12 Guardian, the next chapter in the brand’s horological machines. It started with a “simple” brief (though we all know, nothing MB&F; does is simple. “I was in Max’s office, and he said to me, ‘wouldn’t it be cool to create a watch that’s also a robot’s head?’ And somehow, immediately in that moment, a vision popped in my mind of how it should look,” recalls Maertens. “In the end, I would say this final concept of the HM12 is about 80% of what I had in my mind from that first idea.” Yes, the concept still originated from the mind of Busser himself, but the design of the new HM12 Guardian – a wristwatch with a “very...