WHY WE CURATED IT: A historically important Cartier. Their first-ever steel watch from 1978 in keeping with the times, but retaining Cartier precious-metal roots with a gold bezel and bracelet screws. They eventually made full steel and full 18k ones (Gordon Gekko’s flex of choice in the movie Wall Street). Carrées are direct descendants of the Santos-Dumont: the world’s first men’s wristwatch in 1904 (created for the pioneering aviator of the same name so he could fly without dropping aircraft controls to fumble for a pocket watch). Therefore also the first pilot’s watch! Often seen as the ultimate Santos, compact in size but bold in presence with flat bracelet links that catch the light. How can a blocky square watch with exposed screws be elegant instead of industrial? Leave it to Cartier.
CONDITION: 9/10 almost hairline/ding-free with a few small case marks outwards from 1 o’clock. Bezel has been refinished in the past, but no excessive rounding as is common, done very sympathetically as some underlying marks still show through. Overall the on-wrist presentation is ‘like new’. Crystal, dial, hands and cabochon are clean. Caseback engravings deep and clear, with some painted inlays remaining. The show-stopper is the spectacular bracelet condition; a coveted Gen-3 version with virtually no signs of use and zero stretch. Movement in excellent health and accurate to within ±8 secs/day averaged from 5 timegrapher positions.
