Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Cartier Pebble-Shaped “Baseball” Watch Is Back
Cartier brings back one of its most original design, which originated in London.
Cartier is often considered the master of shaped watches. Squared, oval, bell-shaped, asymetrical, cushion-shaped, barrel-shaped and many more… It’s an endless story, with the only limit being the capacity to be worn on the wrist. Some of the most emblematic and original designs of Cartier didn’t come from Paris’ HQ but from its London-based branch. The wildest ideas were brought to life, from the Crash in 1967 to the Maxi Oval in 1969 and the Double Strap in 1970. There is another design that we haven’t seen resurrected yet… until today, with the comeback of the so-called Baseball or the Cartier Pebble-Shaped Watch.
According to scholarship, this watch is the perfect example of Cartier’s creativity and adaptation to trends, reflecting the feeling of excitement in London at the beginning of the 1970s, following the swinging sixties. A great example of the spirit of creativity of the brand’s London-based branch is the so-called Pebble or Baseball. “Deceptively simple, the entire design is centred around the two most “pure” geometrical shapes: the circle (case shape) and the square (dial shape). The contrast of the circular case with the angular dial grants an enormous aesthetic impact to the ensemble,” explains Phillips Watches here.
Presented in 1972, this highly unusual Cartier Pebble-Shaped Watch or Baseball is rare… to say the least. Once again according to scholarship, about 6 examples only were made, making it as historically important as the emblematic Crash, which also came from Cartier London. The original watch was made from 18k gold (except one in white gold), with a 35.5mm case, and powered by a hand-wound LeCoultre movement.
For some years now, Cartier has been hard at work at bringing back some of its most original designs, in rather faithful re-editions. Since these watches are far from conservative, the French brand almost always brings them back in highly limited series, often under the “Privé” sub-collection – e.g the Tank Asymétrique, the Tonneau or the Cloche.
This year, Cartier gives all its attention to the Pebble-Shaped – Baseball watch, with a new model in limited production that captures the spirit of the original 1972 model with great precision. Made of 18k yellow gold, it retains the combination of round and square shapes into a single design, yet with some slight changes in proportions – being 36mm in diameter, so a light increase of 0.5mm. In the same vein, in order to give this model a slight vintage touch and a warmer look, the dial is eggshell-coloured, contrasting with the brand’s classic Roman numerals and blued sword-shaped hands.
Worn on a light brown calfskin strap with a gold pin buckle, the 2022 Cartier Pebble-Shaped watch is powered by the ultra-thin and compact calibre 430 MC, also known as the Piaget 430P. Only 2.1mm in height, this small hand-wound movement runs at 3Hz and stores 40 hours of power reserve.
The 2022 Cartier Pebble-Shaped Watch (reference CRWGPB0003) will be available as of November 2022, in a limited production of 150 pieces. The price will be EUR 40,000. For more details, please visit cartier.com.
1 response
Let it not be a beer coaster, please!