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.

Image Image

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.