An icon of the swinging sixties crafted by the great maker of shaped watches, the Cartier Crash remains, not just one of the most radical designs born in 1967 but one of the greatest throughout the decades. With a mysterious origin of the birth of this model, rumour has it that the inspiration comes from a melted Cartier Baignoire from the fire of a car crash, others refer it to the surrealist Salvador Dali’s most recognised work, Persistence of Memory. While the tale of the timepiece is compelling and romantic, the origin was addressed in Francesca Cartier Brickell’s book, The Cartiers, where she recounts a conversation with her grandfather Jean-Jacques Cartier, about how the audacity of the design was sketched out with artisan Rupert Emmerson.

The Cartier Crash is certainly a superlative timepiece and it is perhaps the most celebrated and sought-after Cartier wristwatch ever by esteemed collectors. The present Cartier Crash produced in 1994 is one of the rarest variants amongst its breed. Released for the Hong Kong market and cased in 18K pink gold, the Crash features an extraordinarily rare dash of burgundy against the warm white dial, each Roman numeral painted with the alluring colour, the combination matches perfectly with the red tones of the pink metal. The caseback is engraved with “1994 6”, indicating that the timepiece is the 6th piece to be made during 1994. Gorgeously preserved by the original owner, the present example preserved with a voluptuous case with sinuous contour uninterrupted is fresh-to-the-market and accompanied by its original certificate and accessories. With a roaring demand for the Cartier Crash in recent times, the present example is surely a rare treat for the discerned collector yearning for this beloved icon.