Cartier

Crafted to resemble a tortoise, hence its French namesake, the Tortue marked Cartier's third watch case design, predating even the iconic Tank. Louis Cartier, amidst the unveiling of the Santos-Dumont in 1904 and the Tonneau in 1906, conceived the Tortue in 1912. While the majority of Cartier's shaped watches introduced during the early 20th century were solely time-only, the Tortue transcended its origins, evolving in 1928 to incorporate both a minute repeater and a single-button chronograph. It was a significant milestone and is marked as Cartier's first chronograph timepiece. Aptly named the Tortue Monopoussoir, its operational functions—start, stop, and reset—are seamlessly integrated into a single pusher located with the crown.

The present lot belongs to the Collection Privée Cartier Paris, established in 1998 to pay homage to Cartier's rich design heritage. Spanning from 1998 to 2008, the Collection Privée Cartier Paris represented the brand's resurgence in mechanical watchmaking after the quartz crisis, showcasing hand-wound mechanical movements sourced externally, precious metals, and the distinguished "Paris" signed on the dial. The watch is powered by the caliber 045MC, which was made by Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (THA) Ebauche—a joint venture between Vianney Halter, Denis Flageollet, and François-Paul Journe.