A 1987 Cartier London Crash Sets a New Auction Record for Cartier Timepieces

Achieving $1.9 million at auction, the rare watch emerged as the standout lot in Sotheby's’s “Shapes of Cartier” sale, underscoring enduring demand for collectible design icons.

Sotheby's

Sotheby’s “Important Watches” auction in Hong Kong has redefined the luxury secondary market, attaining a remarkable total of $414.2 million HKD (about $52.9 million USD). This significant outcome was driven by “The Shapes of Cartier: The Finest Vintage Grouping Ever Assembled,” the most extensive collection of antique Cartier watches ever curated for public auction.

The highlight of the 13-hour marathon auction was the Cartier London Crash, approximately 1987. This particular rendition — said to be one of merely three manufactured that year — instigated a nine-minute bidding contest via telephones and the salesroom floor. Ultimately sold to a Japanese private collector for $15,616,000 HKD (about $1,993,539 USD), the transaction established the Crash as a zenith of horological design. The outcome highlights a significant cultural transition, as extensively reported in Hypebeast’s recent articles: a departure from conventional “hype” sports timepieces towards the innovative geometry characteristic of Cartier’s London period, marked by its experimental ethos at Bond Street in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Sotheby's

Following the Crash, the technical sophistication of the “Shapes of Cartier” line was evidenced by unprecedented prices for the London Tank J.J.C. Allongée ($5.76 million HKD, approximately $730,000 USD) and the London Tank Normale ($4.6 million HKD, approximately $587,000 USD). The 82-piece collection adeptly encapsulated a century of technical innovation, demonstrating that Cartier’s artistic pursuit is unmatched in its capacity to reimagine the wristwatch. Joey Luk, Global Head of Watch Collections Sourcing & Sales at Sotheby’s, stated: “We are thrilled to have achieved the highest total ever realized for a watch auction in Asia, with a series of world auction records set this evening, including new benchmarks for a Cartier wristwatch and the A. Lange & Söhne Tourbillon Pour le Mérite, Reference 701.007. While the Cartier timepieces were the undeniable centerpiece, what proved equally exciting was the exceptional depth of bidding across both vintage watches and independent makers. With 97% of lots sold and more than half exceeding their high estimates, the result underscores the continued strength of the market and our leadership in the region.”

This sale was a celebration of the pinnacle of horological collecting from beginning to end. It has been an honour to introduce this remarkable vintage Cartier collection to the market and to observe the amazing passion and rivalry it generated, fostering a genuinely eclectic ambiance in the salesroom. Sam Hines, Global Chairman of Watches at Sotheby’s, expressed eagerness to unveil the subsequent segment of this historic collection in Geneva this May and in New York this June.