Cartier Crash 'Paris Platinum'

The Crash is one of Cartier’s most daring and memorable designs.

Various stories persist about the origins of the Cartier Crash. One is that it was inspired by the melting clocks in Salvador Dalí’s painting The Persistence of Memory. Another widely cited story is that it was modeled after the deformed Baignoire Allongée or Maxi Ovale that was recovered from the fiery wrecks of a car crash. Yet, they are merely stories. As a recent book by Louis-François Cartier’s great-great-great granddaughter recounts, the Crash was in fact the product of a collaborative effort between Jean-Jacques Cartier and Rupert Emmerson, one of the artisans in Cartier’s London boutique.

Whatever its origins, the Crash was a radical design that epitomized the spirit of the swinging 1960s and was very much in line with Cartier’s creative and playful design DNA. Launched in 1967 in the London boutique, it was only produced in exceedingly small numbers and has since then only been re-released a handful of times.

The very first re-release, after the original London Crash, was a limited edition of just a few hundred pieces from the early 1990s, released by the Paris boutique. The re-edition was smaller than the London Crash, measuring just 38 mm as opposed to 43 mm of its predecessor. 

That same year, Cartier also released an even more limited platinum version. It is estimated that only 8 exist and they rarely appear on the market due to their exceptional rarity. This stunning piece is one of them.

This beauty dates back to 1992, is in excellent condition, and comes on a navy lizard leather Cartier strap with the platinum Crash deployant clasp.