A Cartier Citrine, ONYX, Chrysoprase, Silver and Diamond ‘Mystery Clock’, Case No. 201207, Circa 1970S
Estimate:
$200,000 - $300,000
Starting: $100,000
A CARTIER CITRINE, ONYX, CHRYSOPRASE, SILVER AND DIAMOND ‘MYSTERY CLOCK’, CASE NO. 201207, CIRCA 1970S
with manual movement, facetted octagonal citrine dial, enclosed rose-cut diamond hands and exterior rose-cut trimdiamond-set hands, bezel-set diamond hour markers, the dial within a chrysoprase border, with mother-of-pearl support banded with diamonds, the octagonal plinth of onyx, chrysoprase and sterling silver, marked on base with 925 standard, other standards, maker’s mark Cartier Paris and case no. 201207, with winding keys, housed in a fitted red leather Cartier case; overall height: 25 cm (9 7/8 in.)
RELATED LITERATURE
Hans Nadelhoffer, Cartier: Jewelers Extraordinary (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1984), p. 258
A. Kenneth Snowman, The Master Jewelers (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1990), p. 198
LOT NOTES
The “Mystery” clock, so called because of the illusion of floating hands, was conceived by Louis Cartier and the house’s clockmaker Maurice Coüet, with the first models produced in 1912. The clocks remain among Cartier’s most sophisticated luxury productions. Similar mystery clocks of octagonal design are reminiscent of the screen-style models especially popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
CONDITION
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