The luminous London Cintrée gifted from Fred Astaire to Felix Leach Jr.

By: Charlie Dunne

The fascination with what performers wear on their wrists is not only something that we focus on today, but also an integral part of how brands position themselves to consumers. Whether or not an association to people within the public eye influences a purchase, it undoubtedly adds to a brand’s prestige. But does the celebrity association add any value to the watch other than in the strict monetary sense? And more importantly, can the manner in which we echo the common conjecture about such associations diminish the historical accuracy? 

The common narrative surrounding the Cartier Cintrée watch “owned by Fred Astaire” and engraved “Felix from Fred ‘29” is one such association that misses the mark. In reality, the watch was owned by Felix Leach Jr., an English jockey and horse trainer from Newmarket whose story has yet to have been told. Based on the case back engraving, it was gifted to Felix Jr. in 1929, which, as we’ll see, was a critical year in the jockey’s life.

Fred Astaire

Frederick Austerlitz, more commonly known as Fred Astaire, was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1899. At an early age, Fred and his sister, Adele, developed a strong passion for dancing. By the age of five, Fred had proven himself to be an adept dancer performing choreographed vaudevilles for adults. By six, Fred graduated to a professional performer. The siblings would soon go on to be featured in musicals throughout their teenage years.

In addition to being a celebrated performer, Astaire loved horse racing. While performing in England, he became entranced by the thoroughbred racing scene. Upon returning to the United States in 1933, he would purchase the Blue Valley Ranch in Chatsworth, California. Over the course of the following decades, he would spend his time offstage at the ranch, dedicating his time to horses.

Among Astaire’s most beloved thoroughbreds from his stable was the highly acclaimed stallion Triplicate, a horse with a thoroughbred lineage that meant its future showed great promise from the start. However, at three years of age, the thoroughbred was not living up to the potential that was expected at the breeding farm in the San Fernando Valley. Nevertheless, Astaire was optimistic and purchased the colt in 1944. Triplicate’s unsuccessful early career would soon change in 1946 when he placed first in both the San Juan Capistrano Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup. The following year, he won the Golden Gate Handicap.

Triplicate was not only a prestigious racehorse that had earned Astaire an estimated $245,000, but also an animal that was special to the owner. Within Astaire’s home, photographs and numerous paintings of Triplicate can be seen in the background. However, while Blue Valley Ranch served as the American retreat for the actor, it was originally in the 1920s in Newmarket, Great Britain where Astaire’s lifelong passion for thoroughbred horses began.

The Leach Family

Newmarket, Suffolk is home to England’s largest racehorse training center and is internationally recognized as the “birthplace of thoroughbred horse racing.” Felix Walmough Leach Sr. was a prominent horse trainer in Newmarket. Born in Wigan in 1876, Leach’s family developed a strong reputation in the area due to his own training acumen along with his three sons, each of whom were jockeys. 

Outside of training horses, he was also a game fowl breeder. While thoroughbred horse breeding certainly is not without criticism, the breeding of birds for bloodsport is quite inhumane. Held merely for the purpose of entertainment or gambling, the birds typically die during or after the fight as a result of their injuries. Ironically, the same year of Leach Sr.’s passing, cockfighting was banned in England. At least one breed of English Greys is named after him.

Henry “Chubb” Beresford Leach

Henry Beresford Leach was the youngest of the Leach brothers, born in June of 1907. By sixteen, he was being touted among sporting journalists as a “natural...born and bred” for racing [1]. Although he was cited as being one of the country’s young prospects, his racing career was the shortest of the brothers. Nicknamed for his physique, “Chubb” retired quite early at only 23 due to his stockier frame. He would soon follow in his father’s footsteps putting his attention strictly towards training by going on to work at Meddler Stud, which was owned by the Leach family until 2001.

In the company of horses for his entire life, Leach Sr. was described as one of the most respected trainers of the day. One of the notable horses he trained early in his career was Ladas, owned by the Prime Minister Lord Rosebery. 

John “Jack” Edward Leach

John Edward Leach, more commonly known as “Jack”, was the middle Leach brother. Described as being not only the “longest legged” jockey, but also “bred for the sport.” Among the brothers, Jack’s career was the longest in racing [3]. After serving in the First World War, Jack would win over 500 races. 

In 1927, he won the 2000 Guineas Stakes riding Adam’s Apple. The 1 mile race takes place on Rowley Mile at Newmarket and has been held annually since 1809. Winning the race in his hometown surely would have been a proud moment for the Leach family. A popular member of the racing community, Jack was often written about in the papers, photographed and drawn at races, Like his younger brother, his eventual weight gain forced him to transition towards training at Graham Place, Newmarket. 

Formation of a Friendship

Fred Astaire garnered early success on stage during the 1920s while performing on Broadway with Adele. The siblings would develop a reputation alongside the Gershwin brothers during their 1923 and 1924 musicals  ‘Stop Flirting’ and  ‘Lady, Be Good!’. Jack Leach recalls meeting Astaire in his 1961 book Sods I have cut on the Turf: 

“I met [Astaire] when he and his sister Adele first came to England in a show called ‘Stop Flirting’, and we had a tremendous lot of fun on the racecourses - mosty the London meetings when he was working, but no distance was too far when he was on holiday…”

- Jack Leach from ‘Sods I have cut on the Turf’ page 122.

The friendship was ignited over racing after Jack’s complimentary observation that Fred was a “good mover” (as the term was generally synonymous with thoroughbreds with promising conformation and stride). Jack cites Fred's propensity to win at the races as quite difficult to grasp, most notably, when Astaire had been staying with Jack in 1927 prior to the 2000 Guineas Stakes. Leading up to the race, Jack had forewarned the high roller that his opponents’ horse, Call Boy, was too fast for him and Adam’s Apple. To everyone’s surprise, Jack and Adam’s Apple defeated Call Boy by inches. It was apparent to Jack that his friend had bet the house on him despite his warning. Astaire would earn the moniker “Cash Astaire the Big Punter”. In Alan Shuback’s 2019 book ‘Hollywood at the Races: Film's Love Affair with the Turf’, it is noted that Astaire’s interest in betting at the races would develop in England. The singer/dancer was early on the race scene compared to many others in show biz. While quoted as saying “there’s no profit in horse racing...the only money in racing was my money”, Astaire loved the atmosphere. Losing every once in a while was just part of the passion at the tracks.

Video footage of Jack Leach winning the 2000 Guineas Stakes on Adam’s Apple in 1927.

From 1926-1931, Fred Astaire spent much of his time performing back and forth from the States to England. A regular in the Newmarket social scene, he was one to indulge the locals in impromptu performances and dancing on the mantelpieces of local clubs when placing £5 bets. It was during this period he purchased a stable in the country. He would soon go on to purchase several horses, each of which would be trained in Newmarket by Jack’s older brother Felix Jr. During 1928, Jack would get married and Fred served as his best man. By mid 1931, Astaire returned to New York to perform in the Broadway musical ‘The Band Wagon’.

Felix Leach Jr.

Whereas “Chubb” and “Jack” were distinguished in their racing careers, Felix Jr. unfortunately did not see the same success as his younger brothers. Born in 1899, Felix Jr. would also pursue his ambitions to add onto the family business by way of racing. It was around the age of 21 that he had begun to show aptitude as a jockey during his apprenticeship under his father. Felix Jr. would compete in his highest stakes races on the stallion Orpheus in 1920. The pair had placed third in The Derby Stakes, then went on to win The Champion Stakes.

The standard weight for jockeys is around 110lbs. Due to Felix’s gaining weight in his early 20s, he focused on training while Jack was on the tracks. By age 26, Felix Jr. would get married. His highest achievement as a trainer came on November 22, 1930 when trainee Tommy Atkins won the Ayr Gold Cup. Tragically, five days later Felix Jr. became ill and was forced to undergo an emergency appendix operation. He would pass away as a result of the surgery. 

“The racing world was [well represented] at the funeral of Felix Leach [Jr.]. Prominent owners, trainers and Jockeys paid their last tribute to the deceased, who had proved himself a good Jockey, trainer and cltlzen during his short life of 31 years.”

- The Telegraph Sat Jan. 17th, 1931

It was reported that Felix Jr.’s funeral was attended by over 400 individuals, a testament to the family’s position within the community. Along with his devastating passing, he left behind a newborn son of just a few months.

About the Cintrée

The Cartier Tank Cintrée dates back to 1921, a period in which rectangular watches were the standard. While designed a century ago, the timepiece is likely to be eternally relevant on the wrist, simultaneously capturing the hearts of those both deeply obsessed or novitiates. As seen recently, the 100th Anniversary model maintains a true sense of design language from its origin. More often than not, the continued reintroduction of watches can become a bit monotonous or in some instances feel uninspired. The popularity of classic Cartiers has soared in recent years. Yet the Cintrée is one of the few examples where a model seldomly sees a drastic deviation. Yes, some examples push the timepiece into the 21st Century, but the model epitomizes the Cartier style.

Most examples are predominantly decorated with roman numerals, however the timepiece that “belonged to Fred Astaire” features a radium dial. Within Cartier: The Tank Watch Franco Cologni cites that occasionally Tanks would feature luminous hour markers and hands from 1925 on. The dials will feature numerals, indexes or points coated with luminous salts. While there are a plethora of examples that make our jaws drop, the luminous dials are certainly atypical amongst examples that are already few and far between. As in the original Tank Cintrée, the example engraved with “To Felix from Fred” features what Martin Green has described as a “plump sapphire cabochon” with a beaded crown. It also features a French eagle head hallmark identifying the 18K purity of the case. 

Reminiscent of the 1929 examples are the Collection Privée, Cartier Paris examples from the early 2000s. One particular example to note is the limited edition reference 2843 in platinum. In the more traditional fashion, it features Breguet hands and is a limited edition of only 50 pieces. An additional yellow gold version was released in 150 examples. To get a full grasp of the model’s lineage, one should dedicate time to the dissertation on Revolution Watch.

“Some [Cartier] objects may be humbler than others; they may be separated by decades in terms of their creation and millions in terms of their monetary value, but they are united by a style and an elegance that speak of civilised life. The mission of Cartier is to be a faithful, elegant, useful and, where appropriate, glamorous companion on the journey of life.”

-Nicholas Foulkes [2]

Current location and recent appearances

In the aforementioned interview with Wei Koh, Auro Montanari commented on the Cintrée that “belonged to Fred Astaire” by stating “It’s a great watch. The problem is the watch was purchased at auction a long time ago by Cartier with the original Radium numerals and they restored it, because it is very difficult for them to still keep a radium dial in the collection and they did a good job. They made the exploded numerals like the original and they show it in their museum.”

The timepiece associated with Astaire has been actively showcased over the years in traveling exhibitions by Cartier. During the fourth quarter of 2009, Cartier celebrated its 100 year anniversary in the United States through its exhibition Cartier and America hosted at the Legion of Honor (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco). Curated by Martin Chapman, the museum featured the commissioned jewelry, clocks, watches and accessories of prominent American patrons to the maison.

In Chapman’s book, one can also see the New York workshop’s custom tiepin which was made in honor of the actor’s successful musical Top Hat, one of the highest grossing films of the decade. It would later be recognized as an iconic moment in cinema in addition to being Astaire’s most noteworthy film.

Norman Foster discusses ‘Cartier in Motion’ exhibition.

The 2017 exhibition ‘Cartier in Motion’ is certainly the most appropriate title considering that both the Leachs and Astaire were always in a state of high-speed. Curated by Norman Foster, the exhibition was distinguished from past Cartier exhibitions in that it was centered around architecture, design, and aviation. In a forward thinking manner, it was even accompanied by a virtual tour via a phone app. Taking into account that it was in England and that Astaire and the Leach family became close, the exhibiting of this Cintrée seems appropriate.

Restoration

In the 1989 publication Cartier: A Century of Cartier Wristwatches George Gordon was among the first to document the watch and noted the provenance with the caption “Men’s rectangular curved Tank Cartier wristwatch, presented by Fred Astaire, circa 1928”. Gordon’s career as a watch dealer began in 1977, leading him to travel the world in hunt for esoteric timepieces. It was an era void of information and resources, leaving those on the scene only equipped with their experience and best judgment. When asked for comment on the Cartier, Gordon confirmed that he was briefly the owner and that it had been sold at auction around the time of his publication in the late 1980s. In a later Cartier publication, the watch is noted to have been sold at Sotheby’s London in July of 1988. As seen within the catalogue and upon its cover, the watch was sold with its original dial.

It is unclear whether the watch was purchased by Cartier at auction; however, Vogue has indicated that it has been in its collection since 1988. Nevertheless, the watch eventually found its way into the D. Walsh Collection and the original dial was restored.

Things can become a bit personal when you add in the element of radium. Today, some collectors have health concerns due to the potential exposure to radium luminous materials, while others simply love the dials. It’s possible the decision to restore the Cintrée’s dial may have stemmed from these safety concerns, as the watch has been toured and placed on the wrists of common civilians.

A more likely scenario behind the dial’s restoration is purely aesthetic. In the period of its sale, the adamancy for untouched cases and original dials was not as pronounced as it is today. In some instances, certain brands remain disreputable with the task of servicing their own watches to this day. Regardless, the Cartier image and perception is very much one of refined luxury. Perhaps an “honest watch” may look a bit out of place amongst other examples on view. This brand image differs from say, Longines, in that they can embrace a “damaged dial’ within their museum due to the fact these timepieces were utility based in aviation and other fields (I know, #SorrySantos). So this raises the question of whether the decision was appropriate in hindsight.

Watch collectors have differing opinions when it comes to restoration, and the topic becomes a bit more emotional when we involve rare and/or historically significant timepieces. In regard to a watch such as this, undoubtedly we will see polarizing viewpoints. While perhaps the argument could have been made that the dial, in original condition, did not fit within the Cartier aesthetic, the counterargument would strongly appeal to the importance of preservation. After all, when factoring in the rarity of vintage Cartier timepieces, let alone those with luminous hour markers and hands, the examples are extremely rare.

There are alternative approaches we have seen in recent years from brands that show a true respect for the artifacts within their companies’ history. One such example is seen with the Vacheron Constantin 'Don Pancho' which was auctioned off at Phillips in 2019. Like the Felix Leach Jr. watch, the historically significant minute repeater was in fact born with a radium dial and hands (in addition to a dressier, non luminous version). Unsurprisingly, over the course of its 80 year life the dial was compromised to the extent it would have hindered most prospective buyers from purchasing the timepiece. Yet Vacheron Constantin and Phillips understood this watch’s importance, not only for this auction, but for future owners. The original dial was preserved and sold with a manufactured replacement dial to allow the watch to remain as original as possible.

Concluding thoughts

Is the prestige of a watch greater based upon by whom it was worn? Sure. Is the prestige of said watch brand lost by clarifying common misconceptions or misinterpretations? I say no. It’s possible that Cartier doesn’t care to correct these whether they are intentional or unintentional. And let’s face it, many watches benefit from an embellished framing. Whether in auction, museums, or private collections, there are a lot of dressed up narratives around watches in order to elevate the price, brand history, or collector.

By today’s standard, there might be nothing wrong with giving a friend a watch that has been relegated to collect dust in a drawer. But in the past, to give something you were no longer interested in would have been considered uncouth. Further, a scenario in which the purchase of the timepiece for personal use, then later adding a professional engraving on the caseback to commemorate a thoughtful gift seems to be unlikely. The inscription “Felix From Fred ‘29” on the Cartier’s caseback still leaves much to be answered. According to Felix Leach Junior’s memorial, 1929 was a significant year for him as a trainer winning 34 races.  While it is not clear as to the specific reasoning behind Astaire’s gift, the plausible explanation coincides with the expectation of Felix Jr.'s first born. Considering the birth of his son in the months preceding his untimely death, and Astaire being the best man at his brother Jack’s wedding in late 1928, it is evident that the group was much closer than simply acquaintances through horseracing. The Cartier Cintrée was very likely gifted to Felix Jr. in recognition of the birth of his firstborn child.

The common conjecture around the timepiece “owned by Fred Astaire” is a bit disappointing. Not because it is disingenuous, but rather because it neglects to acknowledge the thoughtfulness that is embodied within the timepiece. Beyond the marketing, the story of a timepiece’s pedigree should be worthy of recognition. In a period in which few people had the means of acquiring a Cartier timepiece, let alone to have been given one from Fred Astaire, there seems to be a disconnect on why the watch is more than simply something Fred Astaire “owned”. With vintage timepieces, and in particular, timepieces with provenance, the value is not strictly on the appearance being exemplary. These are, in many people's opinions, important artifacts that deserve not only to be kept in as original condition as possible, but also accurately described. Hopefully, the Felix Leach Jr. timepiece can be seen as more than just a spectacle of luxury. By entertaining the current narrative, we miss the story at hand, and the next chapter.

Acknowledgments: A very special thank you to Auro Montanari (@goldberger) for his invaluable assistance and sharing his photographs of the engraved caseback for this article.

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[1] 'Life Stories of Famous Jockeys: Jack and H. Leach'. Trove.nla.gov.au.

[2] excerpt from Cartier in Motion. Page 217

[3] 'Life Stories of Famous Jockeys: Jack and H. Leach'. Trove.nla.gov.au.