Baignoire | A yellow gold oval wristwatch with original gold deployant buckle, Circa 1973-74
Cartier, London
Baignoire
A yellow gold oval wristwatch with original gold deployant buckle, Circa 1973-74
Dial: cream dial dial signed Cartier London, exaggeratedly stretched black radial Roman numerals, blued steel pointed baton hands
Calibre: 5¾’’’ tonneau-form movement, calibre K840, signed LeCoultre Co., damascened Côtes de Genève decoration, lever escapement, 17 jewels, annular balance, flat hairspring, unadjusted
Movement number: 1'376
Case: 18k yellow gold, oval case with rounded sides, chamfered inner bezel, beaded cabochon sapphire-set crown, case secured by 4 screws to case sides
Case number: outside case back hand stamped 1'376 and CG23768, inside case back with [JC] Jacques Cartier punch mark, London hallmarks and date letter ‘s' for 1973-74
Closure: black unsigned leather strap and 18k gold deployant buckle with D-shaped buckle, London hallmarks with date letter ‘s’ for 1973-74 and [JC] Jacques Cartier punch mark, numbered 2'163'756
Size: 35 mm length x 23 mm width
Accessories: none
Launched in 1956, the Baignoire is an iconic Cartier wristwatch design. This uniquely shaped version of the Baignoire was only available from Cartier in London. It is an excellent example of the London workshop’s individualism and flare for creating unusual variations of iconic Cartier models. At either end of the case, where usually the Baignoire’s case is pinched inwards, it is instead stretched outwards, thereby dramatically increasing the bezel’s surface area. The exaggeratedly stretched Roman numerals are considerably longer than those usually found on the Baignoire models; they fill the dial area, enhance the case’s ‘stretch’, and bring to mind the dials of the Maxi Ovals. Interestingly, the additional numbering to the case back, CG23768, is a Cartier Paris secondary market stock number which indicates that the watch was later re-sold through Cartier Paris. This watch is also unusual for being a gentleman’s sized version of the model - a rare Baignoire size to find from either Cartier London or Cartier Paris.卡地亞 倫敦 Baignoire 黃金橢圓形腕錶，備原裝金錶扣，約1973-74年製
