962Σ

Cartier

Ref. 3258

Ballon Bleu de Cartier XL

Estimate
HK$150,000 - 300,000
€17,600 - 35,100
$19,200 - 38,500
HK$330,200
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Cartier
Year
Circa 2010
Reference No
3258
Case No
08/40
Model Name
Ballon Bleu de Cartier XL
Material
18K white gold
Calibre
Automatic, cal. 1904MC, 25 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
Crocodile
Clasp/Buckle
18K white gold Cartier deployant clasp
Dimensions
46mm diameter
Signed
Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Accessories
Accompanied by Cartier certificate stamped Cartier Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong dated 12th May 2010, numbered certificate, instruction manual, red folio, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

Catalogue Essay

Fast forwarding to modern times, it was not until 2002 that enamel painting works were launched in series at Cartier, and in circa 2007 where a dedicated in-house enamel atelier based in La Chaux-de-Fonds was set up.
A painstaking process that demands the most patient and skillful artists, there is absolutely no short cut in creating these works of art, thus commands respect and are highly regarded. Part of the Cartier d’ Art series in 2010, the present Ballon Bleu is part of a limited thematic series featuring some of the world’s most precious and endangered species. Intricately executed in champléve enamel, black mother-of-pearl, the graceful sea-turtle fills the canvas of the Ballon Bleu.
Equipped with the self-winding calibre 1904 that guarantees performance, the wearer can simply focus all their attention to admiring the artwork. Fresh-to-the-market and numbered 8 of a limited edition of 40 pieces and complete with its certificate and accessories, this extraordinary timepiece produced by the hands of artisans is part of an early series of the Cartier d’Art.

Cartier

French

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. 

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