Introduction
The Cartier Crash is a legendary timepiece with multiple spurious origin stories detailing things from fiery car crashes in central London to spontaneous inspiration following the arrival of a badly damaged watch in for service to Cartier’s London location. No matter its origin, the Cartier Crash is wrapped in mystique, and London is widely acknowledged as its spiritual, and literal, home due to its production being the brainchild of Jean-Jacques Cartier, the head of Cartier London at the time, and famed designer Rupert Emmerson. Jean-Jacques had decided in the mid-60s that it was time for Cartier London to create their own watches, and so, London-signed variants of the Cartier Crash are some of the most highly collected, given they were first produced there. Designed by Cartier and Emmerson to reflect the surrealist design culture that was popular during the '60s, the Crash is entirely recognizable by its unconventional case shape reminiscent of Salvador Dali's melting clocks in his 1931 painting 'The Persistence of Memory' and its warped dial layout. The design was conceived as a Cartier Oval with "twisted ends". Launched in 2019 as a re-issue of the London Crash, the ref. WGCH0006 that we have here is constructed of 18kt yellow gold and boasts the Crash’s signature white dial featuring black exploded Roman numerals and blue steel hands. Reduced from the Crash’s larger size of 43mm tall to 38.5mm, the ref. WGCH0006 is extremely wearable and speaks to the popularization of smaller watches that we are currently experiencing. Powered by a manual-wind movement and only 8.4mm tall, this Crash is intensely elegant and simply a stunning piece of horological history.
Loupe This Scorecard
Grade
M 9.5
Status
Vetted & Approved
Included
Box and Papers
Est. value range
$200,000 – $250,000
The Details
Brand
Cartier
Dimensions
38.5mm x 22.5mm
Model
Crash
Movement
Manual-wind cal. 8971MC
Reference
WGCH0006
Bracelet
Leather strap
Year
2021
Condition
Like-New
Material
18kt yellow gold
Included
Watch, box, and papers
Dial Color
White
THE DIAL
Perhaps one of Cartier's most consistent pieces of design is their dial, which the Crash remains consistent with. While its misshapen dial might appear to be melting, its exploding black Roman numerals, blued steel hands, and off-white backdrop remain entirely grounded as part of Cartier's DNA.
THE CONSTRUCTION
With its 38mm long case spanning the wrist comfortably, the Crash fills the wrist perfectly, while its modest 22.5mm width ensures it wears like a much smaller timepiece.
TIMING MACHINE READOUT
This reading was taken (crown down) with a ONEOF Accuracy Boutique Edition timing machine at time of cataloging. It is provided as a courtesy only, and shall not be construed as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please refer to our terms and conditions of sale for more information.
Condition
Watch is in like new condition, with little to no signs of use.
Our Perspective
A celebration of the Crash's meteoric rise to fame and iconic design, the 2019 re-issue of the Crash serves to get this hard-to-find and revered watch to get on more wrists, as it so deserves.
Eric Ku
Co-founder
