A strictly confidential object of desireSIHH 2013: The Crash watch cultivates the prestige of rarity
Created in 1967 at the very heart of “Swinging London”, the Crash watch bears the effervescent, carefree spirit of an era of freedom. It crystallises the encounter between the great creator of shaped watches and the joyful wave of popular transgression that overturned conformity.
According to the story, a client returned a Cartier watch that had been involved in an accident in order to have it repaired and Jean-Jacques Cartier, then the head of Cartier London, was so taken with the shape of the case that he wanted to reproduce it.
Crash: its name represents impact, non-conformism and creative freedom!
Cartier enjoyed shaking up and overturning conventions, introducing humour and elegance to the world of watchmaking precision and accuracy... With its asymmetrical dial, which can also evoke distortion and accidents, over time the Crash watch became a collector’s piece produced in very limited series. Its name was argued over by an informed elite for whom it represented a seventies underground icon. The legend took hold.
Today, the Crash watch appears in a limited edition of four new models adorned for the first time with a delicate bracelet composed of drops in white or pink gold. In an even more precious version, the bracelet is entirely gem-set. In reference to the year of its creation, this legendary, ultra-selective watch is produced in 267 numbered pieces for the models with gold bracelets and 67 numbered pieces for the models with gem-set bracelets. This rare object, a true object of desire, is only available in certain Cartier boutiques.