Cartier Tortue - Full Gold

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.

The Cartier's codes are perfectly respected: the railway minutes scale, the black Roman numerals, the blued hands and the sapphire cabochon.

Slightly thicker than the rest of the "classic" selection at Cartier, its contained diameter nevertheless maintains it within standards of discretion. The “grain-de-riz” bracelet gives all the charm to this Cartier Tortue. The precious watch that you wear almost like a piece of jewelry, very comfortable with its folding clasp. The Cartier Tortue is rare, even more so with its all-gold bracelet.

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.

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.