Cartier Tortue diamonds mechanical - c. 1980

The Forgotten Ancestor

Description

Let's start with a straight case, for example that of the Santos. Then, let's round the corners, add femininity... Not too much, until you get to a Baignoire. Let's stay in a refined in-between, neither too feminine nor too masculine, perfectly Cartier. This is the equation that Louis Cartier undoubtedly tried to solve in 1912, the year the Tortue and the Baignoire were released.

This Cartier Tortue is exceptional. If there was a watch that would illustrate the links between watchmaking and jewelry, it would undoubtedly be this piece whose case and dial are paved with diamonds. Even the cabochon is set with an inverted diamond. The original, custom-made leather strap is mounted on a yellow gold folding clasp: comfort and aesthetics are essential! The precious watch that you wear almost like a jewel.

Why did Françoise choose it?

The Tortue is an emblematic Cartier model, one of the first 3 wristwatches designed by the House. It has the record for longevity in the Cartier collection, since it has almost never been taken out, the last model having been unveiled during the Watches and Wonders 2024 event. And yet, Françoise finds it "forgotten" by most collectors. She particularly likes the in-between of her design: between the severity of a Tank, and the femininity of a Cartier Baignoire.

Françoise also loves jewelry and therefore could not miss this model. A luxury watch that you will wear in the evening like a jewel but whose style can also be offbeat with jeans and a shirt. This model keeps a reasonable size which avoids any bad taste, far from the "flashy" pieces .

A rare, superb piece that you won't come across often...

History

The Santos Dumont in 1907 was the first Cartier wristwatch, a small revolution for watchmaking. In 1912, the Tortue, inspired by the animal of the same name (turtle), and the Baignoire came out of the Cartier workshops in Paris. Hold on tight, we are before the release of the first Tank (Tank Normale) in 1917! The Tortue enjoyed a new hour of glory in the 1930s, when it housed more complex movements (such as a monopusher chronograph or a minute repeater). Almost never discontinued, it is undoubtedly the Cartier model with the greatest longevity.