Cartier Tonneau 2802 XL 100th anniversary

CARTIER TONNEAU 2802 XL 100^th ANNIVERSARY 
Pink Gold | Silvery-white guilloché ‘Rose Motif’ dial

Origin

The story of Cartier started in 1847 in Paris when the luxury Maison was founded by jeweller Louis-Francois Cartier. The brand started in the early twentieth century with fine watchmaking and Cartier soon became the synonym of elegance with the twinkling of an eye: with the introduction of the Tonneau wristwatch in 1906.

By then, Cartier had already created the Santos Dumont pilot watch for the namesake aviation pioneer (in 1904), but the watch wasn’t available on the market yet, making the Tonneau being perceived as the first Cartier wristwatch for men.

The Cartier Tonneau became the symbol of class and was particularly en vogue during the Art Deco movement in Europe during the 20s and 30s, initiated in Paris after the Exposition Universelle of 1900 by a collective of French artists. But instead of following the design principles of the Art Deco – such as geometrical figures and adornments – Cartier created the stylish Tonneau in an avantgarde spirit, challenging the shape of the round pocket watch.

Being the epitome of class on the wrist, the Tonneau – barrel in French, referring to its curved and elongated profile – not only captured the zeitgeist but proved to be a timeless design icon, clearly distinguishable from the rest of the vintage Cartier archive.

The Cartier Tonneau was relaunched in 2006 for the wristwatch’s 100^th anniversary as part of the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP), reviving the most iconic timepieces of the Cartier’s past.

The Watch

This hand-wound time-only Cartier Tonneau XL from the CPCP collection pays a ravishing tribute to its century older antecedent, with its elongated, sleek and curved case in pink gold, perfectly following the curvature of the wrist.

Being a very rare piece, produced in the limited number of 100 editions, it combines heritage with contemporary dimensions due to its XL-size – measuring 43,4mm x 29,4mm (51,4mm from lug to lug). Cartier’s horological past resonates in the black Roman numerals, blued Breguet-style hands and the alluring silvery-white guilloché ‘Rose Motif’ dial and ‘Paris’ inscription.

The Cartier cabochon fitted crown, shaped screws adorning the lugs on either ends of the watch, pink gold folding buckle and the custom made Mr Watchley caramel "round scale" alligator strap make this timepiece irresistible in its purity and classic lines.

The Movement

The Cartier Tonneau XL – with reference 2808H – is powered by a Cartier Workshop-Crafted hand-wound movement that is based on a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement. It has a power reserve of 40 hours and the bridges are decorated with the intertwinted "double C" cipher of Cartier.

Condition and set

This Cartier Tonneau 2802 XL 100^th Anniversary edition is in mint condition and has perfect mechanical functionality. It comes as a full set, with signature red Cartier CPCP box and the original Cartier papers. The Tonneau is fitted with a custom made Mr Watchley caramel "round scale" alligator strap and the original Cartier black alligator strap is included as well. 

If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment.