Cartier Cloche CPCP - Yellow gold - Limited 100 PCS
Origin
A straight edge matched with a smooth curve. Pure asymmetry, from a traditional point of view. A dial shifted 90 degrees to the right. Visual boundaries pushed, aesthetic rules bent. The Cloche certainly commands a fair few double takes: it is familiar yet unfamiliar, expected yet unexpected, it is absolute originality. It is Cartier.
Paris, 1920 and the shackles of World War I had finally fallen. The air was electric with a need for the new, a need to create, for fun, joy, excitement, freedom in all and every possible sense. For Cartier, 1920 would be the year of La Cloche (The Bell). The inspiration for this creation: a call bell. Yes. One of those bells that would be found on a hotel counter, a shop counter and with a light tap would ring to signal a readiness to be served. An unobtrusive, unimposing, perhaps reassuringly inconsequential object - a far cry from a previous Cartier inspiration, the Tank. A sign of the times. Simple, gentle and refined in its form, Cartier saw overlooked beauty and developed a diamond and onyx watch-brooch that reflected the shape of the call bell - the very first Cloche.
It would be a year later though when the real twist would come. The Cloche form made conventional sense for being able to tell the time for a watch-brooch. Yet this was the debut of Les Années Folles (the Roaring Twenties) and there was little appetite for convention. Quite the opposite. It was a time to be radical - and fabulous. Cartier switched perspective and made La Cloche into a platinum and diamond wristwatch, followed by a yellow gold version with leather strap in 1922. A sure-fire hit with the new, sharply dressed personalities of the slightly eccentric and rather eclectic café society scene.
The Cloche is a relative rarity within the Cartier catalogue, making appearances throughout the years since its creation in the 1920s but always in limited numbers. A small number of models were fashioned between 1920 and 1970, while the 1980s saw a flurry of aesthetically creative quartz models as part of the Louis Cartier collection. A small but significant design change would take place with the next version launched in 1995. The two-hundred-piece, limited production run in yellow gold would be created with a brushed 6 ‘o’ clock side, adding a new dimension to the Cloche. No longer just a wristwatch but now also created with the option of being used as a desk clock. A Cartier model in continual evolution.
The watch
Striking the most elegant balance between classic and unconventional beauty - in a way that only Cartier can - this is the Cloche de Cartier from the exceptionally coveted, Collection Privée Cartier Paris.
One of just 100 pieces created, this timepiece is one of Cartier's shooting stars. So rarely seen yet when it is - intensely spectacular to behold.
Almost an ode to that very first, yellow gold Cloche on leather strap presented in 1922, this CPCP version of that head-turning (and tilting), magnificently mind-blowing timepiece was released in 2007. The year that would become the penultimate year of CPCP, the now immensely prized and sought-after timepiece collection from Cartier.
Measuring 28,8mm x 37,2mm, and sitting at 6.1mm in height, Cartier increased the original measurements of the 1920s Cloche by around 15% for this unique CPCP version. All 100 pieces of this limited-edition production were fashioned exclusively from yellow gold. The look and feel of the case devotedly recall the original, complete with its sapphire capped, beaded crown, which is exceptionally placed at the 12. The phenomenal form of the Cloche has simply been brought into slightly sharper focus by the hand of modern watchmaking. Every surface of the case is polished apart from the base of the case and the signed caseback, which are brushed. The caseback, held in place by four screws discreetly placed near each of the four lugs, does have a polished lip and displays all expected hallmarks, together with the piece's reference number as well as its limited-edition piece number, engraved just below the centre of the caseback.
It is the dial however, which distinctly indicates that this timepiece hails from the highly exclusive CPCP. It is silvered, with fantastically free and radiating rosette guilloché stemming from the dial's central rose - a hallmark of CPCP. 'Cartier, Paris', another clear marker of the piece's heritage, is printed in black on the dial. However, the signature is notably at the 6 rather than the habitual 12, due to the unique form of the Cloche. Cartier's black, printed Roman numerals are expansive and dominating in their form as they follow the defiant shape of the Cloche, leaving just an iota of space for the 'Swiss made' printed below the 6. Set to the inside of the Roman numerals and mirroring the shape of the case, is a refined form of Cartier's traditional railway minute track, which is also printed in black. Blued Breguet hands mark the hour and minutes, whilst a secret signature is inconspicuously incorporated at the 7. The dial is a delicate work of contemporary (Cartier) art.
The Collection Privée Cartier Paris (1998-2008) signalled a revival of and a return to the famed Jeweller's exquisite, mechanical watchmaking past. A part of Cartier's diamond-studded history that was overlooked by many for a considerable number of years. With a renewed interest in mechanical timepieces emerging in the late 90s, the time was ripe for La Maison to unearth its outstandingly unique and timeless mechanical, horological gems. A glinting opportunity that would turn into Cartier's most revered timepiece collection.
Precious metals, precious craftsmanship and precious attention to absolutely every single aspect of the timepiece - from case to dial to movement - were the defining aspects of the collection. All aspects magnificently on show in this extremely rare Cloche de Cartier.
The movement
As is seen with all CPCP models, this Cloche is powered by an exquisitely decorated, double-C ciphered, manually-wound Jeager-LeCoultre based movement. The movement at hand is Calibre 9770 MC, which provides the watch with a power reserve of 38 hours and has a frequency of 21600 vph.
How it wears
Just a slight extension of the arm, perhaps a gentle incline toward the body, a barely-there glance to the wrist - and the time is yours. No major twisting or turning required. The Cloche is such a pure form of elegance on the wrist. Elegance combined with a unique aura of strength and confidence. While at first it does provoke quite a different sensation when worn, this is a novel sensation that soon fades with consecutive wears. One feature of this CPCP Cloche that will never fade however, is its astounding aesthetic magnetism. This is a dress watch with a remarkable twist that simply refuses to go unnoticed.
The set & condition
An incredibly infrequently seen CPCP jewel, in incredible condition with only minor hairlines and no signs of polishing, this timepiece comes with its original CPCP box, Cartier outer box, Cartier warranty papers dated 2007, CPCP booklet and Cartier wallet. The watch is fitted to an original Cartier Alligator strap and its original Cartier yellow gold folding buckle.
If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment.
No stock kept on site
| Reference | 2841 - W1551151 |
|---|---|
| Movement | Manual |
| Caliber | Cartier 9770 MC |
| Dial | Silver Rosette Guilloché dial |
| Size (Case) | 28,8 mm x 37,2 mm |
| Material (Case) | Yellow gold |
| Bracelet | Original like new Cartier alligator |
| Buckle | Cartier yellow gold folding buckle |
| Condition | Mint |
| Year | 2007 |
| Papers | Yes |
| Box | Yes |
| Warranty | 2 years |