Cartier Automatic 18ct ‘Sands of Time’ Dial c1967

Cartier

Cartier was founded in 1847 in Paris by the jeweller Louis-François Cartier, who later in 1899 handed it on to his three sons. They would establish the company internationally, not least by making the Cartier name a favourite among the crowned heads of Europe. Named “King of Jewellers, Jeweller of Kings”, the brand was quick to turn its attention to watches. Many have become modern-day icons, such as the Santos, first created in 1904.

In 1907 Cartier made a 15-year contract with Edmond Jaeger, later of Jaeger-LeCoultre, giving the firm exclusive rights to his output. Jaeger soon after moved into Cartier’s premises so he could manufacture mechanisms for Cartier’s personalized watches. The early men’s wristwatches were all hand-made in France, with movements by Jaeger, Cartier Paris and the European Watch and Clock Co., who manufactured complicated movements such as chronographs, minute repeaters, and digital wristwatches.

More famous classic Cartier wristwatch designs followed, such as the Tortue (1912) and the Tank (1919). These were followed by more noteworthy creations, including the Pasha, the Santos 100, the Ballon Bleu and the Calibre de Cartier. The Cartier family retained ownership of the firm until 1964. It is now part of the Richemont Group.

During the early twentieth century, any man wearing a wristwatch made a very daring statement as the classic pocket watch was considered the only timepiece a gentleman should carry. Cartier were a major influence in persuading the Parisian aristocracy to accept the idea of wristwatches for men. The Santos was promoted to show that the adventurous gentleman was wearing a wristwatch in all elements of his life. The “Tank” wristwatch, introduced in 1917 during the First World War, was Cartier’s most famous model. Louis Cartier was inspired by the tough new war machine the Americans introduced to the fighting in Europe – the tank – to design a rugged, yet beautiful watch that became a classic.

Description

This rare, beautiful 18ct classic vintage Cartier gentleman’s dress watch case has a wonderful ‘Sands of Time’ dial in extraordinary condition, as are the case and movement. At 34mm, excluding the correct Cartier crown, this a good sized watch for the period. The watch is in beautiful, completely original, unrestored and untouched condition.

Cartier watches are, of course, very highly regarded for their design, elegance and sophistication making this the perfect watch for special occasions or with care, everyday use.

The Dial

The original, unrestored and untouched silver-white dial has an attractive and highly distinctive golden swirl effect, known as ‘Sands of Time’. Although quite faint, this elevates the dial to something very special. The dial carries yellow gilt applied ‘Baton’ hour indices, matched by the original, unrestored Index hands. The simplicity, elegance and lightness of the dial is so elegant and refined.

Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however, we decided in this case due to its exceptional condition, to retain its originality and charm for the many collectors who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with most of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Movement

The movement used in this watch is the Cartier Cal.2520, 17 Jewel Automatic. This is the original movement, which as can be seen, is in sparkling condition having just been fully overhauled and serviced by our Master Watchmaker. This involves complete disassembly to all its component parts, close inspection under high magnification and replacement where necessary using only original manufacturer parts before careful re-assembly, lubrication, calibration and testing. This watch winds and sets smoothly and is currently keeping accurate time, consistently, to within 7 seconds per day! This is outstanding for any vintage watch of this age. We therefore have no hesitation in offering this watch with our 12 months warranty.*

This movement is signed ‘Cartier’ with the Calibre number 2520.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only included if the list price is paid.

The Watch Case

The very high-quality 18ct yellow gold Cartier case measures 34mm, excluding the correct, unsigned winding crown. The case is of three-piece construction, with short swept-back lugs and a deep screw-down case-back for improved dust and moisture protection.

The case is in superb condition and has obviously been very well cared for. Having received a clean and a careful inspection, the watch case has simply been given a very gentle and sympathetic polish. There are no dings, scratches or marks visible to the naked eye. The screw-down case-back is of full thickness and has never been engraved.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

A new, high-quality black Hirsch London Alligator strap has been fitted, along with an original, matching period, gold plated Cartier buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin, but can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 18mm straps if you wish.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to c1967. Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt and 12 months’ warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no quibble sale or return policy.

The original vintage presentation box as shown, is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

Vintage Cartier watches are very exclusive and hard to find and so we are very pleased to have found this superb example to restore and offer here for sale. It is completely fresh, reliable and practical to wear as your everyday watch should you wish, but mostly it’s a thing of beauty some would say, ourselves included, a work of art from one of the most prestigious names in Swiss watchmaking. Should you wish to view it this way, it is also an excellent investment and heirloom piece and as each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold watches grows ever greater, limited supply and high demand from the Far East, means prices will climb ever higher!

This is a beautiful example of a classic vintage watch from one of horology’s most famous names and one which if treated with care, will remain an excellent investment as well as be something to use, wear, treasure and enjoy. It will provide excellent reliability as well as a sound financial investment, as long-lasting as the watch itself!

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly successful charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you would like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

If you have any questions please call on our Landline 0207 727 7095 or Mobile 07515 949250 or if calling from overseas, on Landline +44 207 727 7095 or Mobile +44 7515 949250.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss.

We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.