>Cartier was attentive to how guys, interested in, let us call them, ‘the greater watches’, were educated about timepieces, compared to normal Cartier client was and that these men were also more interested in the character of the movements. That led to 1998 in the launching of this, at the male consumer targeted, ‘Collection Privée, Cartier Paris’ series. A collection of limited edition and limited made watches, housed in Cartier’s classic cases such as the Santos, Tank, Tortue, but more significant, powered by high end mechanical calibers produced by famous watch brands, for Cartier.Piaget, JLC, Frederique Piguet, Gerald Genta and many others all delivered these superior calibers for this top of the line series. The superb finishing of the moves, was completed by Cartier and was visible through the trunk, since lots of the versions had a glass back, to find the movement. A feature that has been pretty unusual at that time. Collection Privée was too limited in quantities for a true achievement, because many of the models were only produced in 100 bits, while Cartier had already over 200 brand Boutiques at that moment. One would expect my WIS (View Idiot Savant) friends in the GTG meetings would be exited about the pieces I showed, but that was only partially the case, since another trend had become popular among those men; ‘in-house moves’. A grail watch needed to possess an in-house movement to be the actual thing (bargain).During the Collection Privée interval, 1998 — 2008, Cartier frequently faced problems in getting all of the components from their providers and it frequently happened that a watch was released later than planned, because of the fact that some components were not available in time, to complete the watch.
Sotheby’s upcoming auction of Important Watches in Geneva will bring together a selection of fine and rare timepieces to suit every collecting style. Highlights from the sale, to be held on Sunday, 12 November at Mandarin Oriental, Geneva, include a selection of vintage and modern watches from the most prominent brands, including Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, F.P. Journe and Richard Mille. Furthermore, a collection of Urban Jürgensen watches will be bring to auction for the first time.
Standout wristwatches by Patek Philippe include a 1974 example of the reference 3448 – the first automatic perpetual calendar ever made in series – a reference 2526 in pink gold with enamel dial and an Astronomical watch, the reference 5102G, featuring a dynamic celestial chart of the Northern Hemisphere.
“For the upcoming sale in November, we have carefully assembled a wide range of fine and rare watches to suit every collector, from the connoisseur searching for an exceptional piece, to watch lovers seeking to build on to their collection or enhance their personal style. This autumn selection includes prestigious watchmakers Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Cartier, as well as a remarkable collection of watches and pocket watches by Urban Jürgensen”, Mikael Wallhagen, Head of Sotheby’s Watch Department, Geneva, said.
Auction Highlights:
- Patek Philippe – Celestial
- Vintage wristwatches
- Pocket watches
- Vacheron Constantin – Métiers d’Art “Les Masques”
- Cartier – “Rotonde”
- Richard Mille – RM 35-01 Rafael Nadal
Date of the auction:
- Sunday 12 November 2017
Address:
- Mandarin Oriental, Genève
Quai Turrettini 1, 1201 Genève
Public exhibitions:
- Thursday 9 November: 10am – 6pm
- Friday 10 November: 10am – 6pm
- Saturday 11 November: 10am – 6pm
