For the most part, Cartier is a relatively approachable brand. Some of the most affordable offerings start at around $3k retail. Compared to other renowned watchmakers such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet, that’s quite reasonable for anyone interested in investing in a high-end timepiece. However, if you delve deep enough into Cartier history and other lore, you will find that the Maison has produced some astonishingly expensive watches, including animal-inspired watches dripping in diamonds and gemstones, one-of-a-kind models, and watches that are valuable simply because of their notoriety. Let’s explore a few of the most expensive of the bunch.
Cartier Cheich
The ultimate trophy. Cartier collaborated with Thierry Sabine, the founder of the Dakar Rally, in the 1980s to dream up a rare prize for the notoriously grueling 10,000-kilometer landrace winner. To win the watch, participants had to take first place in their respective categories – motorcycle, car, or truck – two years in a row, a feat now dubbed the “Cartier Challenge.” That watch was the Cartier Cheich, of which it is rumored only a few examples were ever made.
What came of those watches has been a complete mystery for the past four decades. That is until 2022 when an example worn by two-time Dakar Rally winner Gaston Rahier hit the Sotheby’s auction block. The watch, shrouded in a gold cloth-like bezel like what Tuareg nomads would wear, was estimated to fetch between $200,00 and $400,000 and sold for a staggering $1.1 million.
Cartier Cheich Specs:
| Case: | 38mm x 24mm |
| Metal Finish: | 18k Yellow Gold |
| Bracelet: | Leather w/ 18k Yellow Gold Cartier Buckle |
| Dial: | White Roman Numeral |
| Crown: | Blue Cabochon |
| Movement: | Caliber FE 664 Manual Wind |
| 2022 Pre-Owned Price: | $1.1 Million |
1967 Cartier London Crash
A yellow gold example of the warped Cartier Crash with a London-signed dial popped up on Loupe This in 2022. It’s one of the earliest examples of the Crash ever sold at auction. While Cartier has produced many different iterations of the watch since it was developed in the 1960s, it remains an incredibly exclusive model and is typically only sold in very limited production runs. So, when the gold model went up for auction in 2022, it was estimated to sell for $500,000 – $800,000 and ultimately closed at a cool $1,654,277. The psychedelic collection has a serious cult following and a design unlike any other, which can also explain why it commands such a high premium.
1967 Cartier London Crash Specs:
| Case: | 23mm x 43mm |
| Metal Finish: | 18k Yellow Gold |
| Bracelet: | Leather Strap |
| Dial: | Off-White |
| Crown: | Cabochon |
| Movement: | Caliber 841 Manaul Wind |
| 2022 Pre-Owned Price: | $1,654,277 |
Cartier Phoenix Décor Secret Watch
Browse Cartier’s catalog at any given moment, and you will find no shortage of iced-out animal-inspired timepieces. They perfectly capture the mystery and elegant forms of the animal kingdom’s most exotic creatures with a dazzling display of precious metals, diamonds, and colorful gemstones. The Cartier Phoenix Décor Secret Watch is one of the most expensive ever made, featuring white gold decorated with over 3,000 glittering diamonds.
Tiny emeralds serve as the eyes (a common design element on many Cartier animal watches), and the dial is hidden among the feathers on the back of the Phoenix. I couldn’t find a firm source for this watch, but it does appear to be a one-of-a-kind Cartier valued between $2.5 million and $3.8 million.
Cartier Phoenix Décor Secret Watch Specs:
| Case: | 31 mm x 52 mm |
| Metal Finish: | White Gold |
| Bracelet: | Cuff-Style |
| Dial: | Silver |
| Market Value (2024): | $2.5 Million – $3.8 Million |
Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Masse Mystérieuse
Cartier Mystery Clocks lean heavily on the art of illusion to display the time. The hands, mounted on translucent discs, appear to float because the movement is cleverly, and quite mysteriously, hidden within the clock base. This design is the inspiration for one of the most expensive Cartier watches in the current lineup, a limited edition of the Rotonde de Cartier in platinum and diamonds. Like the company’s gravity-defying Mystery Clocks, the hands are mounted on a translucent dial. Save for some horological sorcery, I imagine it would be impossible to conceal the movement completely.
Instead, Cartier has developed the caliber 9801 MC, which combines the entire movement into the winding rotor, leaving half of the dial completely empty. The biggest mystery is how the company hid the connection between the crown and the movement. Cartier made different examples of the Mystery dial watch, including the full platinum and diamond model retailing for $1.29 million upon its release in 2022.
Cartier Rotonde Masse Mystérieuse Specs:
| Case: | 46mm |
| Metal Finish: | 950/1000 Platinum |
| Bracelet: | 950/1000 Platinum |
| Dial: | Transparent |
| Crown: | Beaded, Set With a Diamond |
| Movement: | Caliber 9801 MC Automatic |
| 2022 Retail Price: | $1.29 Million |
Cartier Tortue Minute Repeater Circa 1929
A rare and very early example of the Cartier Tortue Minute repeater popped up at auction on Antiquorum in 2002, fetching more than $1 million. The gold watch, produced in 1929, featured an EWC movement with a straight-line lever escapement and resounding minute repeater activated by a slide on the left side of the case.
The Tortue had already been in production for over a decade by the time this model came to market, but the minute repeater was a new complication. Cartier added it to the Tortue copusher chronograph, making this 1929 model one of the first made in Cartier history. It was likely one of the most expensive Cartier watches when it was first sold, and it still is. According to Antiquorum, the watch was originally sold in 1931.
Cartier Tortue Minute Repeater Circa 1929 Specs:
| Case: | 32mm x 40 mm |
| Metal Finish: | 18k Yellow Gold |
| Bracelet: | Leather Strap |
| Dial: | White, Roman Numeral |
| Movement: | Caliber 11 European Watch & Clock Co. Manual Wind |
| 2002 Pre-Owned Price: | CHF 993,500 |
Honorable Mention: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ Gold Cartier Tank
This next Cartier might not break the $1 million barrier, but it was an important model nonetheless as a meaningful relic of the Kennedy Presidency. Not to mention, it sold for well over its original $60,000 – $120,000 auction estimate, with a final bid of $379,500. The 1962 gold Cartier Tank was gifted to the former First Lady in 1963 by her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radizwell during JFK’s 50-mile hike at Palm Beach. A special case back engraving reading, “STAS TO JACKIE, 23 FEB. 63. 2:05AM TO 9:35PM” commemorated the occasion. Jackie was also pictured wearing the watch often, adding to its provenance.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ Gold Cartier Tank Specs:
| Case: | 20mm x 28mm |
| Metal Finish: | 18k Yellow Gold |
| Bracelet: | Leather Strap/18k Yellow Gold Cartier Deployant Clasp |
| Dial: | Silvered Roman Numeral |
| Crown: | Blue Cabochon |
| Movement: | Manual, stamped OYP |
| 2017 Pre-Owned Price: | $379,500 |
The fact that the most expensive Cartier watches are trading hands in the millions is a testament to the brand’s influence on fashion and watchmaking. Even more impressive is that many of those watches would otherwise be considered standard models, such as Jackie O’s gold Tank and the 1929 Tortue Minute Repeater. They don’t have to be dripping in diamonds to command an incredible premium on the secondary market.
More on Cartier:
Cartier 2024 Releases
Who Owns Cartier?
How Much Does A Cartier Tank Cost in 2024?
The Best Entry Level Cartier Watches
Omega vs. Cartier: The Battle for #2
