Cartier Tortue - 1980
Cartier Tortue - 1980
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✓ Authentication by watchmaker
✓ Free & insured shipping
✓ 14-day returns
✓ 1-year warranty
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Our take
Our take
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The forgotten ancestor
Description
Let's start with a straight case, for example a Santos Dumont. Then, let's round off the corners to add some femininity. Not too much, you don't want to go full Baignoire. Let's stay in a refined in-between, neither too feminine nor too masculine, perfectly and simply Cartier. This is the equation that Louis Cartier tried to solve in 1912, the year the Tortue and the Baignoire were released.
The rest of Cartier's watchmaking codes are perfectly respected: the railroad minute scale, the cabochon, the blued hands.
Slightly thicker than the rest of the "classic" selection at Cartier, its contained diameter nevertheless keeps it within the standards of discretion. Here on a dark and classic strap, Françoise can help you install a more punchy strap to shake this 100-year design a notch.
Why did Françoise choose it ?
La Tortue is an emblematic model of Cartier, one of the first 3 wristwatches designed by the House. It holds the record for longevity in the Cartier collection, since it has almost never left it. And yet, Françoise finds it "forgotten" by most collectors. She particularly likes the in-between of the design: between the sharpness of a tank and the femininity of a bathtub.
History
The Santos Dumont was the first Cartier wristwatch in 1907, and represents a small watchmaking revolution. In 1912, were released together, the Tortue, inspired by tortoises, and the Baignoire (french for bathtub). Hang on tight, we are before the release of the first Tank (Tank Normale) in 1917! The Tortue experienced a new heyday in the 1930s, when it housed more complex movements (such as a a monopusher chronograph or a minute repeater). Almost never discontinued, it is undoubtedly the Cartier watch with the greatest longevity.
Dimensions
Dimensions
Material
Material
18k yellow gold
Usage instructions
Usage instructions
Authentication
Authentication
Every piece undergoes a two-step expert review before joining our selection.
Françoise and her team, collectors and horology enthusiasts for many years, examine it first.
Our partner watchmakers, with whom we work closely, then carry out the technical authentication.
Condition
Condition
Our photographs are true to life: taken in-house with a macro lens, they capture every detail of a piece with precision — including marks or scratches that may be less visible to the naked eye.
We never retouch a watch's condition; only the brightness of the photograph may be adjusted.
Serial numbers are removed from photographs to protect the authenticity of each piece.
Shipping
Shipping
Worldwide shipping and insurance are offered for each item upon receipt of payment.
Any customs duties and local taxes, which vary depending on the country of destination, remain your responsibility.
In Paris, hand-delivery is possible by appointment, once funds have been received.
Return and refund policy
Return and refund policy
Despite photos and descriptions that we hope are as accurate as possible, we know that the relationship with a piece of jewelry, a watch, is above all physical.
That's why we offer a 14-day return period, no questions asked, with a refund within 5 days of receiving the watch.
However, the watch must be in an aesthetic and mechanical condition similar to when it was sent.
A question?
A question?
Contact us or consult our Your questions, our answers page. A private appointment in Paris is also possible, upon request.
