The iconic and surreal Cartier London Crash was sold at Christie's Rare Watches auction in Geneva for CHF 1,585,000 ($2,028,800), tripling its initial estimate and setting a new world record for the model by surpassing a previous benchmark set just weeks ago when a similar 1987 Cartier London Crash fetched nearly $1.9 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong.
In 1967, Jean-Jacques Cartier worked alongside designer Rupert Emmerson to create a watch silhouette that stood in sharp contrast to the classic lines of traditional Cartier models. The asymmetrical, "melted" case and distorted Roman numerals on the dial are reminiscent of Salvador Dalí's melting clocks in the 1931 painting "The Persistence of Memory," though several theories exist regarding its true source of inspiration.
This particular auction piece, featuring a solid gold case and a matching gold Crash deployant clasp with Cartier London hallmarks, was manufactured in 1990. The buyer's identity has not been disclosed.
The Christie's Rare Watches auction brought in CHF 33,054,441 ($42,309,684), representing the highest result ever achieved for any watch auction conducted by the house. A remarkable 99% of lots were sold, with total revenue exceeding the low estimate by 188%. Despite its record-breaking price, the Cartier London Crash ranked only third among the sale's top lots. First place went to a platinum F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Reference T, which sold for more than $3.1 million. The second most valuable lot was a 1930s Audemars Piguet single-button "Coussin Tortue" chronograph, model No. 41,849, which sold for over $2.7 million—another auction record for a vintage Audemars Piguet chronograph.
It seems the market for collectible watches is undeniably overheated.
