The Cartier crash was originally launched in 1967 and is one of the most fascinating designs to be found in watchmaking. A number of theories have actually flourished which apparently explain the origin of the unusual case construction. Some think it was inspired by the melted clocks popularized by Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" surrealist painting. A popular legend has it that the design was inspired by a Cartier Bagnoire which went through a car crash, melted down in the fire, and ended up with a shape similar to the Crash's. While there is nothing to disprove these hypothesis, Occam's razor would suggest not to disregard the possibility that this simply was in fact a deliberate Cartier design, born in the London branch of the brand. In fact, in the sixties, the Paris, New York and London branches of the Maison were operating independently, and the London branch was managed by the great-grandson of the company's founder - Jean-Jacques Cartier - who adopted a highly imaginative and more relaxed style for his creations, following the demands of his clientele. Thus it is possible, if not probable, that the Crash design comes from a "twisted" revisitation of the Cartier Oblique, another creation of the London branch from the 1930s

Whatever the true story behind its genesis, the Crash has become one of the most demanded and collectible Cartier wristwatches, also because of its extreme rarity: only two versions have been made by Cartier. The 1970s version, and a 400 pieces limited edition series launched by Cartier Paris in 1991, exemplified by the present piece which is number 370. Offered by its original owner and complete of the Cartier Limited Edition Certificate and box, the watch impresses with its overall quality and honesty. The case in particular is blessed with a strong layer of oxidation which, beyond amplifying its warmth and vintage vibe, is irrefutable evidence of the fact that the piece spent most of its life in the safety of a bank vault.