Fashion

With another distant observation, Cartier’s hot streak continues


Did any watchmakers have a better time than those working at Cartier’s wing in London in the late 60’s and early 70’s? Combined with the free and fun Swinging Sixties, Cartier London took its most original ideas and never bothered to smooth out the edges. Literally: the watch has become a new favorite celebrity and auction superstar, Cartier Crash is bizarrely curved, came from Cartier London in 1967. And a few years later, in 1973, the same branch designed and released “Pebble” (or “Baseball”). One small problem: only six Pebbles were released.

That smell. Like many Cartier watches, the Pebble is the kind of watch we desperately needed more of. It looks like no other piece exists, really. The case itself isn’t oddly shaped, but attaching a baseball diamond dial at its center is a rather iconic design move. It’s the kind of watch that could fit in a black tie gala, it’s actually in production. Thankfully, Cartier announced on Monday that it will bring back Pebble. The watch will still be hard to find – Cartier only plans to make 150 pieces – but it is better than the half-dozen pieces that currently exist.

Yan Senez

Cartier is re-releasing the Pebble at the right time. The jeweler’s watch department is thriving right now, largely on the strength of its historical models. And if you start looking for markers of Cartier’s recent revival, you’ll quickly find Pebble. Last year, two Pebbles were auctioned: one for $254,343 and the other for about $405,000 (actually 403,200 Swiss francs), set a record for the model.

Cartier’s strategy seems to be working: this year, brand surpasses Omega became the second largest watch manufacturer in the world, behind only Rolex in terms of sales. (To be fair, it’s still a long way off the pinnacle, with Rolex’s $8.1 billion versus Cartier’s $2.4 billion.) In 2015, the brand created what what they call the Privé Collection, where out-of-production items are brought back to life. Over the years, Cartier’s resurgent fan favorites like Asymétrique, the Clocheand Tonneau. These watches mostly win for the exotic. Asymétrique seemed to be constantly messing around, sliding off a slope. Cloche sits like a bell upside down on the wrist. Every one of these watches has become an instant hit among collectors. While the Pebble is not officially part of the Privé line, it does represent another special watch from the archives that will certainly not last long at retailers.

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