I got up close and personal with Elton John’s Cartier “Paris” Crash that Christie’s is auctioning off. Let me tell you about this captivating, asymmetrical timepiece.
I’m a loyal Sotheby’s family member. Recently, I stepped into the lion’s den, otherwise known as the competing auction house, Christie’s.
Okay, that’s an exaggeration. The duopoly members of the elite auction world aren’t at each other like mafia families. We’re more like gentleman soldiers who follow the rules of war. Polite visits are allowed.
But, Christie’s is about to auction off some truly fascinating pieces of property with undeniably special provenance. Sir Elton John is moving out of his long-time residence in Atlanta.
Unsurprisingly, his watch collection is as colorful as he is. One piece truly caught our eye over here at TSW. Lot 12 — his limited edition Paris variation of the asymmetrical Cartier Crash watch.
A Unique Design
Imagine if you took a Cartier Tank and melted it into a wavey, surreal, asymmetrical mess. The famous Cartier Crash is as bizarre as it is elegant. And, of course, it would feel right at home in the world of Salvador Dalí’s painting, La Persistance de la Mémoire de Dali (The Persistence of Memory in English).
What’s even more remarkable about it is that despite its dramatic abstraction, you can still tell time on the face. It boasts an 18-karat gold case, which adds a hypnotizing shine to the swerves of the bezel.
Meanwhile, the silvered dial gives the happily drunk Roman numerals an elegant environment for their revelry.
It’s a limited edition model from 1991, with only 400 floating around. It was released in Cartier Paris specifically, which is why the dial reads Paris instead of London like typical Crash models do.
Very few of these Paris models actually debuted publicly. Suffice it to say, it’s rare.
I was incredibly impressed with the watch’s condition. The dial and hands are literally perfect. And, despite the case’s precious metal construction, there were only a few light scratches. This watch is just a little younger than me, and I can’t say the same for myself.
The back is pretty scratched, but frankly, who cares?
Function-wise, it runs on a manual winding movement. I love this. It gives you an opportunity to bond with your watch, and you get to use the iconic gem-like crown.
According to Christie’s staff, it works fine but may not be that accurate. Again, who cares? But hey, you can always get it serviced.
I also loved the taper of the leather strap and its functional deployment clasp.
Did I mention that the 24” by 39” millimeter case is slender-wrist-friendly?
The Cartier Crash: Disputed Origins
Another cool thing that makes this timepiece special is the fact we didn’t know how the design came about — until recently that is. I’m not sure why, but Cartier didn’t release a lot of information about the background of the design.
Perhaps they purposely wanted mythologies created around it.
Of course, one of the most popular theories is that it was in fact inspired by the Salvador Dalí painting.
Another interesting theory is that the designers actually saw a melted watch and took inspiration from that. (Supposedly, the watch was a Cartier Maxi Baignoire Allongée). This story is so on-the-nose in my opinion, that it has myth written all over it.
As indicated by its namesake, it was also reported the design was inspired by an actual car crash that the Cartiers got into.
Perhaps the Tank or Maxi Baignoire Allongée that one of them was wearing came out looking charmingly wrecked.
Maybe it was at this crash specifically that the timepiece melted. Or, maybe it was more of a symbolic inspiration, the car crash motivating them to make a “mess” of a watch.
Conclusion: The True Story
With all these theories out there how can we possibly know which is correct?
It’s almost sad that we now know the true story, confirmed by the granddaughter of Jean-Jacques Cartier. I say almost because it’s been fun for the watch community to speculate on the Crash’s origins. But, the actual inspiration is pretty great.
According to Francesca Cartier Brickell, Jean-Jacques Cartier and designer Rupert Emmerson were simply inspired by 1960s London.
I can totally see this. The Crash is wavy and wild, a remix of a familiar design that, for the most part, continues to be honored. Yet, it’s elegant, well-built, and a balance of unique and classic.
The art and music scene that defined swinging London in the 1960s did just that. They brought new color to a familiar palette, without compromising the city’s inherent Britishness.
This is probably why, even compared to other asymmetrical icons, even within Cartier, the Crash continues to stand out. Even more, the limited edition Paris variation is greatly leveled up on the collectibility front.
Christie’s sale of Sir Elton John’s collection, opening night is the 21st of February. What’s your favorite piece in the collection? Let me know in the comments!
Leave a Reply