Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces
Hong Kong, May 10, 2020
LOT 143
Cartier for Tiffany & Co. - Dress-watch, “couteau” (knife-edge), ultra-thin; platinum
HKD 55,000 - 71,000
USD 7,000 - 9,000 / EUR 6,400 - 8,200 / CHF 7,000 - 9,000
Sold: HKD 81,250
Platinum, hunting-case, keyless-winding, “couteau” (knife-edge), round-shaped, ultra-thin, dress-watch, hinged cover. Silver guilloché (engine-turned) dial with suspended Arabic numerals.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3 |
Good |
Movement: 3 * |
|
Dial: 3-01 |
Good HANDS Original |
Brand Cartier, Paris
Model “Montre de poche Couteau savonnette”; retailed by Tiffany & Co.
Year circa 1915-1920
Movement No. 9 674
Case No. 9 674
Material platinum
Diameter 49.2 mm.
Caliber 17’’’, rhodium-plated, lever escapement, 8 adjustments
Thickness 4.9 mm.
Signature dial and movement (by the maker); case (by the retailer)
Notes
Cartier, “Montre Couteau”
“Couteau” is the term used by Cartier in their manufacturing records to described this type of watches with knife-edge cases, open-face or hunting-case models.
The case of the hunting-case version is of an unusual construction with its two-body (cover and case-back); the movement is housed in an adapter ring whose upper part forms the bezel.
Cartier sourced their “Couteau” watch movements from several suppliers. These included, as of 1935, LeCoultre (future Jaeger-LeCoultre), who had just invented a movement of 7.75 douzièmes (only 2 mm. thick), and, Vacheron & Constantin, who from 1940 utilized a movement which was seven douzièmes (only 1.31 mm. thick). This allowed them to produce incredibly thin watches.
These watches – with less than 4 mm. thick for the open-face version and less 5 mm. version for the hunting-case version – are among the thinnest mechanical watches ever produced.