Cartier was a maker of fine jewelry long before it became a significant watchmaker in the 20^th century when it unveiled the Santos-Dumont in 1904, which was the first wristwatch designed specifically for men. Today it continues to straddle both horology and watchmaking, having just unveiled the latest generation of the Santos-Dumont, and now, the Maillon de Cartier.

French for “link”, maillon, is already used for a line of Panthère de Cartier jewelry that is characterized by, well, links. It is an apt description – the rings, bracelets, and necklaces are characterized by the use of tightly interlocking links as a central design motif.

This very design language is carried over – with a twist, literally – to the new line of wristwatches, Maillon de Cartier. The new line is defined by a juxtaposition of curves and angular faces – essentially twisted links. The seamlessly integrated bracelet is composed of offset links that echo the shape of the bezel.

The case, measuring 16 mm by 17 mm and standing 6.8 mm, is entirely mirror polished and framed by a hexagonal bezel that is integrated into the bracelet, accentuating the slimness of the watch while also emphasizing its sculptural quality.

The dial is typical Cartier style: a silvered finish, blued steel sword hands, and stylized Roman numerals. Because of the small size of the dial, the Cartier “secret signature” is not incorporated in “VII” as is tradition.

Maillon de Cartier is made up of six references in yellow, pink, and white gold. In addition to the base model in yellow gold with a sapphire cabochon in the crown, the other variants are available with a variety of diamond settings as well as a brilliant-cut diamond in the crown.

The top of the line, diamond-set ref. WJBJ0006 is the most striking of the collection. A limited edition of 50 pieces, the watch has a glossy, black lacquered dial and the only one with yellow gold hands. More striking are the black lacquer panels on the flanks of the bracelet links, which alternate between diamond-set and black lacquer, a look reminiscent of Cartier’s famous, black-spotted Panthere creations.

The Maillon de Cartier variants, with the 50-piece limited edition featuring an onyx dial at extreme right

Key Facts and Price

Maillon de Cartier
Ref. WGBJ0002 (18K yellow gold)
Ref. WJBJ0002 (18K pink gold with diamond-set bezel)
Ref. WJBJ0003 (18K white gold with diamond-set bezel)
Ref. WJBJ0004 (18K pink gold with diamond-set bezel and bracelet)
Ref. WJBJ0005 (18K white gold with diamond-set dial, bezel, and bracelet)
Ref. WJBJ0006 (18K yellow gold with black lacquer and diamonds)

Diameter: 16 mm by 17 mm
Height: 6.8 mm
Material: 18k gold
Water resistance: Splash-resistant

Movement: Quartz
Functions: Hours and minutes

Strap: Interlocking link bracelet

Limited edition: Ref. WJBJ0006 limited to 50 pieces; other models part of regular collection 
Availability: At Cartier boutiques and retailers starting May 2020 (except for WJBJ0006 in September 2020)
Price: Starting from €21,000 for WGBJ0002, €26,000 for WJBJ0002, and rising to €100,000 for WJBJ0005

For more, visit Cartierwatchmakingencounters.com.

Having postponed its traditional April and May watch auctions till June and July respectively – no doubt with fingers crossed and a quiet prayer – as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Sotheby’s has just announced Watches Weekly, an ongoing series of online-only watch auctions starting April 1, 2020. The auctions will take place on a rolling basis, with each sale lasting a week, then followed by the next sale, and so on.

Each auction be centred around a theme while being relatively compact – the first sale is made up of 19 watches by Rolex and Audemars Piguet. The subsequent auctions will be Patek Philippe Design and Horology from April 8-15, then something for bargain hunters, Swiss Wristwatches with no reserve on April 15-22.

Sam Hines, Sotheby’s global head of watches, explained the move in the announcement: “[Clients] are also increasingly confident [of buying] important pieces online. This was demonstrated last week, when we set a new record for a watch sold online at Sotheby’s [162,500 Swiss francs for a Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” ref. 6262].”

According to Mr Hines, the newly-announced online auctions will “complement the calendar of live sales and other online auctions already planned for the rest of the year”, implying that the rest of the auction calendar will proceed as planned.

Watches Weekly makes Sotheby’s the first mainstream watch auctioneer – its peers are Christie’s, Phillips, and to a lesser degree, Antiquorum – to stage frequent online-only auctions as a result of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

To view the online auctions, visit Sotheby’s.com.