Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 2010 Reference No: 28731 Case No: No. 171 Model Name: Rotonde Jour et Nuit CPCP Material: 18K white gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 9903 MC, 25 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Cartier folding clasp Dimensions: 42mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
The Rotonde day and night display has a long history in Cartier’s history since the Comet clocks from the 1920s. Launched as part of the Cartier Privée Paris Collection (CPCP) from 1998-2008, the legendary Rotonde Jour et Nuit was available in pink gold and white gold. Infused with modern finesse, the elegant timepiece features an enticing display of the passage of day and night.
Artistically decorated with silver guilloché, the day section depicts a sun as the hour with beams, as the day goes by the transition of the night sky takes over with the moon flowing across the night sky. Featuring the blue Breguet style minute hand, passage of minutes is powered by a retrograde mechanism. The timepiece also bears the classic secret Cartier signature sitting discretely at the 10 o’clock Roman numerals.
Sophisticated and now a classic, the present example in 18K white gold is offered in attractive overall condition.
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.