Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 1978 Case No: 970'500'659 Model Name: "Jumbo Gondole" Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 97B, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Alligator Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp Dimensions: 34.5mm Width and 38mm Length Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
Very rare, this oversized Cartier perfectly encapsulates the brand's daring and unusual designs of the 1970s and 1980s. Flat, large and wide, it houses a manual winding movement and has immense presence on the wrist due to its stepped case. Furthermore, the Roman numeral hour markers, blued steel hands and sapphire-set crown enables the viewer to immediately recognize the design as being inherently "Cartier".
The timepiece is also preserved in excellent condition, with a crisp case number on the caseback and sharp hallmarks.
With the Constitution of 1848 came a new standard for luxury in France. Founded one year prior by Louis-Francois Cartier, the house of Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making. This incredibly expensive material became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms and attitude. It helped men move from pocket watches to wristwatches, effectively making the watch much more functional and prominent in a man's overall wardrobe.
Cartier did not only touch on functionality. Inspired by a commissioned painting by George Barbier featuring a black panther at the feet of an elegantly bejeweled woman, Cartier began incorporating wild animals in his designs—most notably, Cartier Panthère rings, bangle bracelets and watches. Yet it wasn't until the late 1960s that the house of Cartier debuted their iconic yellow and rose gold LOVE collection, which includes the famous bracelet that only a special screwdriver can open.