One of the vintage watches sold at the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction last week opens the window to the heyday of Cartier London in which independent styles were produced, in 1960s.
There was an interesting watch for those interested in Cartier’s rich design heritage at the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction on May 8-9. The estimated price of watch was approximately 50,000 dollars; it was predicted to be sold for a maximum 100.000 dollars. However, timepiece, nicknamed “The Baseball” or “The Pepple” due to its appearance, sold for $ 445.000 far beyond the expectations. The Cartier London is behind the simple yet unusual appearance of this rare handmade watch.
The most memorable decade in the history of watch design may be the period during the 1960s and 1970s. Incredibly, those years were both a time of crisis and creativity. (Iconic watches such as the Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster and Heuer Monaco were products of that period.) The designers of that period influenced by social changes, led to a true design revolution in any field, from watches, to jewelry, passing through cars, the architecture and ready-to-wear fashion. In those years, new form of expressions were added to traditional designs.
London was one the epicenters of this change. Cartier’s heart was in Paris, but the Cartier London, with the support of the headquarters and the power of independent watch production possibilities, created some of the most impressive, striking, and iconic designs in history. Cartier London produced extraordinary watches for eight years, from 1966 to 1974. The famous British music group Beatles also managed to change history of music in just 7 years (1963-1970).Â
England’s most talented jewelry designers and craftsman dominated the Cartier atelier in London, whose was founded at the beginning of the 20th century. The London atelier gradually has changed when Jean-Jacques Cartier, who succeeded his father in London, ran the Cartier retail in London from 1945 to 1974.
