Cartier

Some say they like vintage watches.  I do say so.  Of course when you attend an event like the SIHH there are many new watches around to make you forget vintage watches.

This year's SIHH was no different and I'm still dreaming of a Girard-Perregaux 1966 tourbillon or a Jaeger-LeCoultre white gold Duometre a Quantieme Lunaire, not to mention others even more extraordinary.

But there was one very special exhibition at this year's SIHH. One definitely interesting above all in my very humble opinion. Cartier was exhibiting a vast range of vintage watches and clocks. I will come back to the wrist watches and clocks later, to focus today on some special clocks well known under the poetic name of "Mystery" clocks.

These pieces are part of the fantastic collection of historical watches owned by Cartier. This collection is extensively shown in a fantastic book that may be available at selected Cartier boutiques (for just slightly less than the price of a Cartier watch alas).

The clock above is a Model A Mystery clock from Cartier Paris, made in 1914. Mystery clocks appeared in 1912 with a first piece) (but this first one has disappeared), so this one is an early model. They are in fact still produced although being AFAIK always unique pieces. I think only pocket and wrist mystery watches have been serially made (in low numbers still).

Why are they mysterious? Because, as you can see, their hands seem in no way connected to a calibre. They seem to "float" in the middle of a transparent dial.

This first model, made of platinum, gold, white agate and rock crystal, and decorated with sapphires, enamel and rose-cut diamonds is powered by an hand wound eight day calibre located in the agate base of the clock.

The Model A style was never abandoned and seduced many personalities, among them the Maharajah of Patiala Sir Bhupinder Singh, John Pierpont Morgan Jr. and Queen Mary, consort of King George V of England.

This Mystery clock with central axle was made by Cartier Paris in 1920. It is made in white and yellow gold, platinum, ebonite, citrine, enamel and rose-cut diamonds.

Again the hands like in all Mystery clocks seem to float in the middle of the dial. In fact they are fixed on rock crystal plain wheels that are powered by the calibre through a vertical axle hidden in the clock mounts.

This specific clock was one of the first made with a central axle.

This third clock (sorry for the pic definition) is of the same central axle design and was made in 1922. It is still coming from Cartier Paris.

I find it particularly appealing and the "Mystery" seems even greater with a long axle. At least I find it so.

This clock, another central axle version, is this time coming from Cartier New York. You may know or not that for a long time Cartier was not in fact one single company, but was separated in three parts (between brothers): Paris, New York and London.

To be clear the Cartier Mystery clocks were made by Maurice Coüet who was the exclusive provider of clocks for Cartier after 1911.

For this collaboration with Louis Cartier, Maurice Coüet inspired from the clocks of the illusionist Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. This inventor of the modern magical art was himself a watchmaker (and son of a watchmaker). But we all know here that watchmaking can be sometimes a magical art.

No this Mystery clock from 1931 is not defined as striking because of its Chinese style inspired from Louis XV and Louis XVI clocks and last of a series of 12 made between 1922 and 1931. It is in fact a hour and quarter "sonnerie au passage".

The clock came from Cartier Paris.

This central axle Mystery clock from Cartier Paris, 1927, had a very prestigious ownership ion the person of the Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, wife of Alphonse XIII.

This Mystery clock from Cartier New York, 1926, was named "screen" Mystery clock for its style of screen.

This second screen Mystery clock came from Cartier Paris. The axle is hidden by an onyx ball located on top of the basis containing the calibre.

This central axle Mystery clock was made in 1956 and sold through Cartier Paris. It was made with smoky quartz.

This single axle Mystery clock above was owned by a client who played a prestigious role in Cartier's history. Princess Doan Vinh Na Champassak, namely Mrs Barbara Hutton, had certainly appreciated the Lapis Lazuli blue colour of the clock made in 1967 for Cartier Paris.

This Plate Mystery clock was made for Cartier Paris in 1953. Hand winding and setting is made by opening a plate below the "6".

The hour indication is made through a star of diamonds.

This clock is the ninth of the series of 12 mentioned earlier. The jade elephant comes from the 18nth century. The clock was made for Cartier Paris in 1928.

The style of this clock may remind you some series of Cartier Jewellery of the recent years.

The Chimera Mystery clock made for Cartier New York in 1926 is another of the series of 12 of small subjects and animals.

This large Portique Mystery Clock made for Cartier Paris was the first of a series of 6 taking the form of the door of a Shintoist temple. Made between 1923 and 1925, they are considered as the most prestigious objects made by Cartier with the 12 little subjects  and animals clocks seen before.

The Billiken statue can be removed to access the calibre located at the top of the clock for once.

We will end with this Model A made for Cartier Paris in 1949.

You may regret that 16 Mystery clocks were on show and I managed to picture only 15 of them. I wonder why?

I can tell you that I've very longed dreamed of seeing such clocks and had only seen new clocks for sale so far, at the London boutique and on the Champs Elysees.

Seeing all those was a great pleasure. I hope you enjoyed them too!

These clocks are definitely part of the Hall of Fame of high horology and I can only advise you to seize any opportunity to see them by yourself.

Cheers

Dje