The shape of things
IT is always a pity to sully the pleasures of collecting watches with the taint of filthy lucre, but the soaring value of a certain model of wristwatch can function as a helpful barometer of shifting tastes. Last year, one result in particular sent the mercury shooting up the scale to command the attention of the market. Trophy models by Patek Philippe and Rolex frequently fetch six- and seven-figure sums, but, on November 10, 2021, after fierce bidding, a Cartier Crash watch from 1970 quadrupled its low estimate of 200,000 Swiss francs to sell for 806,500 Swiss francs (£657,000). It was an astonishing result, made all the more remarkable because included in the sale was an insurance valuation for the watch from 1997 that valued it at £40,000.
The Cartier Crash was invented in the London branch of the famous jeweller
