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the woman is wearing a black shirt and a necklace with a white pearla close up of a necklace with a pearl ball on ita white pearl and gold necklace on a black backgrounda close up of a necklace with a clock on ita close up of a necklace with a ball on a chaina close up of a necklace with a clock on itan image of a necklace with a white pearl on a black surfacea close up of a necklace with a clock on ita white and gold necklace with a clock on ita gold and diamond necklace with a circular pendant on a chaina white and gold necklace with a pearl bead on a chaina white and gold clock hanging from the ceilinga gold and white beaded necklace with a heart charma white and gold beaded necklace on a white backgrounda white and gold clock on a chain on a white surfacea close up of a necklace with a white and gold ball on it
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275 - CARTIER. Probably circa 1910. No.
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Estimate €6,000 - €8,000
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Description
CARTIER. Probably circa 1910. No. 19819. A so-called ‘Boule de Genève’ pocket watch in gold, white and gold enamel and what are likely fine pearls, with its matching chain. Spherical case in white and gold enamel, decorated with beaded friezes. White enamelled dial with stylised Arabic numerals. Mechanical movement with manual winding and time-setting via the bezel. Chain in gold, white enamel and pearls, with a white gold ring set with diamonds. Signed. Diameter: 21.5 mm. Gross weight: 50 g. Chain length: approximately 68 cm. Pendant length: 10 cm. Note: By the end of the 19th century, having won over a significant clientele of Russian princes and grand dukes, Cartier drew inspiration from the famous Russian jeweller Karl Fabergé, renowned for the imperial eggs he created for Tsar Nicholas II. This ‘Boule de Genève’ watch, complete with its chain, is comparable to a 1905 Cartier Paris model held in the house’s collections and featured in *La Collection Cartier Horlogerie* by François Chaille and Franco Cologni (Flammarion, p. 49). In the 19th century, the craze for ‘fancy-shaped’ watches led to the development of a patented movement designed for a small ladies’ watch: the ‘Boule de Genève’. This miniature mechanism, comprising three superimposed plates, is housed within a spherical case. It is wound by a gentle rotational movement of the bezel, whilst the time is set using a push-button linked to this same rotation. Worn at the end of a fine chain or suspended from a chatelaine brooch, this watch enjoyed great success. The first movements were produced by Marius LeCoultre, Paul Ditisheim and Henri Capt, before being adopted by major Geneva-based manufacturers such as Vacheron & Constantin, Patek Philippe and Golay Fils & Stahl. At the start of the 20th century, the ‘Boule de Genève’ remained in fashion, but its patented mechanism was gradually replaced by a simpler and less expensive one.
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About the sale Collectors’ Jewellery & Watches
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Auction time 07/28/2026 at 1:30 PM
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