The Cartier ?Crash? was first introduced in late 1967, and then released as a limited edition in 1991. The watch is considered to be inspired by Salvador Dali, the famous surrealistic painter who reached his pinnacle in the 1930s and 40s. But the real story of this watch takes place in the "Swinging London" of the mid sixties. The story is that a Vice President of Cartier London was involved in a car crash. A fire ensued and the watch was caught in the flames, resulting in its melting. The watch, a Cartier Bagnoire Alongee, which is an elongated oval in shpae, then took on the shape of the surrealistic watch in a Dali painting. Cartier designers found this watch inspiring and decided to introduce it as a new design. Thus the "Crash" watch was created. The modern version of the ?Crash? was released in 1991, in a limited edition of 300 pieces worldwide. The watch was an instant success with Cartier collectors. All the modern versions are signed "Paris" on the dial, and on the back of the case. A special "Crash" deployant buckle was produced for the series and also looked like it had been in a "crash". In 1993, Cartier produced a special platinum edition of the Crash watch for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva. The present watch is from that special edition. A similar watch in white gold, signed ?Cartier London?, is illustrated in ?White Cartier?, by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum Editions, 2006, p. 538.