Manufacturer: Cartier Year: Circa 1998 Reference No: 2418 Movement No: 115 Case No: No. 01 - 1998 Model Name: Pasha Jour et Nuit Material: Platinum Calibre: Automatic, cal.115, 29 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Cartier deployant clasp Dimensions: 38mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
Before Cartier had established its streamlined in-house watch production, the Maison was known to commission renowned horologists and designers to create their timepieces. Embodying the perfect balance between luxury and sport, the present Pasha Jour et Nuit is such an example, a modified iteration of Gerald Genta’s original Pasha.
The “Day and Night” system, designed by the esteemed independent watchmaker- Svend Andersen, is an exciting and unique way to tell time. Featuring an unusual jumping 24-hour display, time is indicated by a large hand with both sun and moon motifs on opposing ends. Much like the natural courses of the two celestial bodies, night and day are differentiated as the moon-hand sets past the 6th hour on the lower bow, and the sun-hand rises on the upper scale indicating the hours between 6 to 18. Unlike most watches, Andersen’s display uses the subsidiary dial to indicate the minutes, rather than seconds. Adorned with a pearl white “Clous de Paris” dial, a visual dissonance is also created in the layering of the hand-applied hour scales and Maison plaque.
The present example numbered 01 is a rare specimen from Cartier, offered in excellent 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.