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Lot Essay
Christie’s is delighted to offer this superb and incredibly rare 1968 London-made Baignoire Allongée ‘Maxi Oval’. For Cartier collectors, timepieces produced in Cartier’s London workshops are beyond desirable. Cartier’s motto ‘Never Copy, Only Create’ has a particular resonance when considering the extraordinarily creative wristwatches that came out of Cartier’s London workshops in the 1960s and 70s. Designed to provide a perfect fit on the wrist, the Baignoire Allongée was the largest Baignoire model and thus named the ‘Maxi Oval’. Handmade, it was produced in extremely small numbers and has always been almost impossible to obtain, its quasi-mythical status as an instantly recognizable yet highly exclusive Cartier design has assured its eternal allure. Underlining the present watch’s rarity, according to research, in the last 25 years only four other examples of these original 1960s London-made Baignoire Allongée ‘Maxi Oval’ wristwatches have appeared at international auction.
Consigned by a distinguished gentleman from his private collection, we are very excited to be able to offer this wonderful example of what is regarded as one of the most attractive and sought after of all Cartier wristwatches. The present watch, with its large cursive script signature ‘Cartier London’ on the stunning white painted dial with ‘explosion’ numerals, crisp heavy gold case with full London hallmarks for 1968 and matching serial numbered gold deployant clasp, a more sublime specimen could hardly be imagined.
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 wristwatches that were truly a response to the spirit of the age. The appearance of the watches that came out of the London workshops, including the ‘Crash’ and the present ‘Baignoire Allongée’ were not only avant-garde but positively and deliberately shocking. Their truly head-turning looks being in complete contrast to the traditional conservative round or rectangular wristwatches of the day.
Cartier’s wristwatches made in the London of the Swinging 60s undoubtedly possess the almost magnetic fascination that is borne from all truly great design and craftsmanship. This gorgeous Baignoire Allongée with its fluid elongated curved shape and specially designed dial is an exemplar of what can only be described as “the genius of Cartier”, indeed, the very name Cartier is a byword for the ultimate in luxury. From the dawn of the 20th century the company’s timepieces have wowed the world’s richest and most demanding clientele, not only for their mechanical excellence and ingenuity but most importantly for the perfection and confidence of their design. Original production London-made timepieces from the 1960s and 1970s such as the present watch, signed with the magical ‘Cartier London’ script are quite naturally the most desirable of all.
Cartier Baignoire
Originally conceived for an important Russian client in 1912 but unnamed, the Cartier ‘Baignoire’ or ‘bathtub’ in French has remained a timeless and elegant icon for over a century. Although resembling a bathtub, the name actually refers to the shape of the exclusive sections of the grand Opera Houses that Cartier’s clientele frequented. The ‘Baignoire’ shaped watch that is familiar today was not serially produced until 1957 and only christened ‘Baignoire’ in 1973. The ‘Allongée Maxi Oval’ was the ultimate expression of the Baignoire design, the London made examples are thought to have first appeared in 1964. The Baignoire Allongée was not just simply an elongated and exaggerated variation of the standard Baignoire, but a transcendent and unusual piece of functional, wearable art.
Consigned by a distinguished gentleman from his private collection, we are very excited to be able to offer this wonderful example of what is regarded as one of the most attractive and sought after of all Cartier wristwatches. The present watch, with its large cursive script signature ‘Cartier London’ on the stunning white painted dial with ‘explosion’ numerals, crisp heavy gold case with full London hallmarks for 1968 and matching serial numbered gold deployant clasp, a more sublime specimen could hardly be imagined.
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 wristwatches that were truly a response to the spirit of the age. The appearance of the watches that came out of the London workshops, including the ‘Crash’ and the present ‘Baignoire Allongée’ were not only avant-garde but positively and deliberately shocking. Their truly head-turning looks being in complete contrast to the traditional conservative round or rectangular wristwatches of the day.
Cartier’s wristwatches made in the London of the Swinging 60s undoubtedly possess the almost magnetic fascination that is borne from all truly great design and craftsmanship. This gorgeous Baignoire Allongée with its fluid elongated curved shape and specially designed dial is an exemplar of what can only be described as “the genius of Cartier”, indeed, the very name Cartier is a byword for the ultimate in luxury. From the dawn of the 20th century the company’s timepieces have wowed the world’s richest and most demanding clientele, not only for their mechanical excellence and ingenuity but most importantly for the perfection and confidence of their design. Original production London-made timepieces from the 1960s and 1970s such as the present watch, signed with the magical ‘Cartier London’ script are quite naturally the most desirable of all.
Cartier Baignoire
Originally conceived for an important Russian client in 1912 but unnamed, the Cartier ‘Baignoire’ or ‘bathtub’ in French has remained a timeless and elegant icon for over a century. Although resembling a bathtub, the name actually refers to the shape of the exclusive sections of the grand Opera Houses that Cartier’s clientele frequented. The ‘Baignoire’ shaped watch that is familiar today was not serially produced until 1957 and only christened ‘Baignoire’ in 1973. The ‘Allongée Maxi Oval’ was the ultimate expression of the Baignoire design, the London made examples are thought to have first appeared in 1964. The Baignoire Allongée was not just simply an elongated and exaggerated variation of the standard Baignoire, but a transcendent and unusual piece of functional, wearable art.