Recently, the book The Cartiers by Francesca Cartier Brickell has dispelled the common origin story of the Crash: it was never the result of a car crash melting a Cartier Baignoire, but instead was the result of a collaboration between Cartier and other designers. Sometimes, a great design is a great design — it doesn’t need some apocryphal story to raise its stature. Such is the case with the Cartier Crash.
The model has been on a tear for the past few years, surely buoyed in part by a certain producer-rapper-designer-mogul’s affection for it. But no matter the celebrities that take to it, the Crash is a watch and a design that also stands on its own merits.
At Phillips Hong Kong XI this weekend (Nov. 29), two Cartier Crash examples will be offered for sale. With Phillips flagship New York auction, “Racing Pulse” coming in early December, it almost feels like this weekend’s Hong Kong auction is flying a bit under the radar, especially with a holiday weekend here in the States. But while we in the States might be taking some time off, the auction catalog shows the Phillips team is still hard at work. Offering two superlative Cartier Crash models is evidence of this; it’s one of the hottest watches around, and the two examples up this weekend are no exception.
The Crash is perhaps the most iconic design coming from Cartier London’s golden age of watchmaking. Introduced in 1967, it’s presumed that no more than a handful of original Cartier Crash examples were produced during these early years. Not until the 1980s and 1990s, when Cartier re-united and moved production of the Crash to Paris, do we see a (slight) uptick in production of the Crash.
Cartier Crash, Paris Limited Edition of 400 (1991)
The first lot from Phillips is one of these models, a 1991 Crash Paris. This comes from a limited run of 400 pieces, cased in yellow gold. It’s one of the more traditional interpretations of the Crash, staying largely true to the original conception and dimensions of those early London Crash timepieces. I covered this model back in May, when an example came up at Antiquorum, setting a record for the highest price for a 1991 series model, selling for HKD 812k (~$110k). This week’s example from Phillips has a more modest estimate of around $42,000-$62,000, but don’t be surprised if it goes higher. This lot’s a full set, featuring the Cartier box and certificate, as well as the alligator strap and 18k gold clasp. It’s also interesting to note that, like the record-setting Antiquorum lot, this one was placed in a Hong Kong auction, illustrating the perception that Asian collections are especially passionate about Cartier, particularly its most iconic designs. See Lot 874 here.
Cartier Crash Skeleton (2019)
Next up from Phillips is a 2019 Crash Skeleton. In 2016, Cartier re-introduced the Crash Skeleton, producing 67 in a limited run. Unlike the 1991 Crash, the Skeleton totally tosses convention to the side, instead illustrating Cartier’s prowess as a modern haute horology force to be reckoned with. The sculpted manufacturer caliber movement was crafted specifically for the Crash’s unique contours, and the openworked movement uses skeletonized bridges to form Roman numerals under the crystal. This particular lot is a pink gold example, and interestingly, the estimate is pretty similar to the 1991 Crash above: the Crash Skeleton’s estimate is $32-65k. It’s wild to think that roughly the same amount of time elapsed between the original Cartier Crash and the 1991 Paris limited run as between that 1991 edition and this Skeleton version. There’s virtue in staying faithful to an original, but there’s also something to be said for pushing oneself forward.
As a side note, it looks like Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has scooped up a skeleton Crash for himself, along with a Sports Illustrated model 20 years his junior (h/t Charlie). I suppose when you eat just one meal a day, you have plenty of money left over for other stuff (being worth $7 billion helps too). See Lot 967 here.
There are more than 200 lots at Phillips Hong Kong XI this weekend, including seven more Cartier timepieces. Take a look at the rest of the catalog here.