Patrizzi's New York sale, which their CEO Osvaldo Patrizzi had billed as "the most important sale of Cartier timepieces since 1996", concluded last week with some spectacular results.
The 1929 Cartier Comet Clock: a nephrite, eight-day duration, grande sonnerie carriage desk clock with phases of the moon, days of the week, date and alarm, mounted in 18k yellow gold with original morocco fitted box and accompanied by a Cartier certificate, sold for a stunning $250,000.
It has a certain added value due to its provenance, having been previously owned by the son of former New York City Mayor, Hugh L Grant.
 The 1929 gold-and-nephrite Cartier table clock |
In some ways though, this was not the sale which provoked the most excitement at the Patrizzi auction, which achieved $2,040,800 in total.
That was probably a "Louis Cartier" Platinum Tank Cartier, Paris, No. 21946 wristwatch, likewise completed in 1929. Whilst the Comet clock was not given a public estimate, the Louis Cartier watch had been expected to bring $80,000-100,000 but an excited bidder offered $135,000 - a world record.
With interest increasing around the world for rare and fine watches, notably in China, such timepieces are now seen as a having value as an investment.
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Image: Patrizzi
