Auctions: Sotheby's To Offer A Massive 300+ Piece Cartier Collection Across Sales This Year

Editor’s pick — Accessory quick take: key highlight (movement/specs for watches, materials/finish, limited run, pricing tier) in 1–2 lines.

Sometimes, auctions are all about rarity or esotericism. Other times it’s about volume. Rarely, if ever, do you get both. Well, Sotheby’s is throwing down the gauntlet, not just announcing selections from its upcoming April 24 Hong Kong sale, but saying, “Hey, if you like that, there’s a lot more where that came from.” When I surveyed other fans of Cartier, what stood out in the recent announcement was not just the quality and rarity of the pieces, but the sheer number. Sure, you might get one or maybe two London Crashes in a year. Maybe a few other London pieces. But an overwhelming number like this has never happened before. You not only get a London Crash but a Paris one, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A potential $15 million iceberg, when it’s all said and done.

Cartier Crash, London – “A rare and iconic distorted oval wristwatch, believed to be one of only three examples made in 1987, accompanied by its original gold deployant buckle, case, and buckle Hallmarked London for 1987. **Estimate $400,000–800,000**“

Cartier Asymétrique with Blue Enamel, London – “Extremely rare and unusual asymmetrical rear wound wristwatch with gold deployant buckle, case and buckle Hallmarked London for 1973–74. **Estimate $50,000–80,000.”**

Cartier London, Tank Asymétrique/Parallélogramme – “A rare white gold asymmetrical wristwatch with blue numerals and original white and pink gold deployant buckle, circa 1992. **Estimate $60,000-$75,000.**“

Called “The Shapes of Cartier: The Finest Vintage Grouping Ever Assembled,” it really is fascinating. Typically, I hedge away from superlatives like these, as some truly outstanding collections of Cartier have been gathered (the “White Cartier” book, for instance, of which pieces are now owned by noted collectors like Eric Ku, Justin Gruenberg, and Auro Montanari, as well as the collection of the dealer who originally assembled it) but again, the breadth of this auction is expansive, so the name of “The Finest Vintage Grouping Ever Assembled” very well could be the case.

A London Crash, sure, but even the “smaller” items like a ton of Tanks (like this Grand Cintrée from London), Drivers, rare Octagonals, and Decagonal—I don’t think people really understand how rare these pieces are. Let’s break it down a bit.

Once you start looking closely, it becomes easier to distinguish the more experimental London pieces from those made in Paris or New York. Take, for example, the very flat Alongée with the black dial. This is considered a “London” dial, notably without the outer chemin de fer track found on so many Cartier watches. The shaped cases—like the eight- and ten-sided examples—are also distinctly London, and distinctly rare.

Sotheby's Cartier Collection — Cartier Tank Allongée, London, “An extremely rare 18ct white gold elongated rectangular wristwatch with black dial and original white and pink gold deployant buckle, case and buckle Hallmarked London for 1992. **Estimate $40,000 –60,000.**“

Cartier Decagonal, London – “A rare and highly unusual 18ct yellow gold 10-sided wristwatch with gold deployant buckle, case and buckle Hallmarked London for 1970–71. **Estimate $60,000–80,000.”**

Cartier Octagonal, London, “A very rare lady’s 18ct white gold octagonal wristwatch with original pink and white gold deployant buckle, the clasp of matching design, case and buckle Hallmarked London for 1971–72. **Estimate $50,000–80,000.**“

There’s also an overwhelming number of other great watches, like a Driver’s watch (and the Jerry Lee Lewis “Bubble” as well), pocket watches, purse watches, roulette pocket watch, a turtle pendant carved out of quartz, a pocket watch with sundial, two envelope purse watches, cufflinks, pen watches, money clip watches—the list goes on and on. In fact, one of the downsides of Hong Kong auctions is that they are generally the most overstuffed of the season, which means things sometimes get buried. So it’s worth noting that there are other incredible world-class watches worth considering.

Let’s start with an unusual but incredibly impressive three-hand Patek Philippe, the only known platinum ref. 2552 retailed by Cartier, with a massive estimate of $625,000-$1,250,000, and has sat quietly off the market for 20 years. Then there’s the wildly attractive pocket watches, including a watch by Suzanne Rohr, one by her mentor Carlo Poluzzi, and another two by her mentee Anita Porchet. The Poluzzi below is estimated at $200,000-$500,000. The Rohr (not shown) is $500,000- $1,000,000. Oh, and then there’s the Patek ref. 605 HU with a cloisonné world map, estimated at $1,250,000-$2,500,000. There’s a tremendous amount of cloisonné in this auction alone, like the Omega Seamaster with a “Neptune” dial by Nelly Richard, which could go for a massive $165,000 to $375,000 or more.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention there’s a Philippe Dufour Simplicity, but I’ll round out the top end of the picks with some other obvious choices. I’m in love with the amazing, unique Patek Philippe single-button chronograph wristwatch with vertical registers, retailed by Tiffany & Co. ($800,000 to $2,000,000). The John Player Special Daytona is a top-five all-time watch for me, and they have a “Cherry” ref. 6264 version. Finally, there’s the prototype stainless steel ref. 3700 “Albino” Nautilus (confirmed by extract) with a white dial, which is incredibly striking and almost confusing to look at. The estimate for the Nautilus is $300,200-$750,000, and the Paul Newman John Player Special Cherry is an eye-watering $1,500,000-$3,500,000. Oh, if you want Journes (like a Ruthenium tourbillon or a brass-movement watch), they’ve got those too. Tom Brady’s “Roast” Royal Oak is also back. There’s frankly almost too much great stuff in this auction, so we’ll see what comes from it for results.