Cartier Tortue - 1980

The forgotten ancestor

Description

Let's start with a straight case, for example a Santos Dumont. Then, let's round off the corners to add some femininity. Not too much, you don't want to go full Baignoire. Let's stay in a refined in-between, neither too feminine nor too masculine, perfectly and simply Cartier. This is the equation that Louis Cartier tried to solve in 1912, the year the Tortue and the Baignoire were released.

The rest of Cartier's watchmaking codes are perfectly respected: the railroad minute scale, the cabochon, the blued hands.

Slightly thicker than the rest of the "classic" selection at Cartier, its contained diameter nevertheless keeps it within the standards of discretion. Here on a dark and classic strap, Françoise can help you install a more punchy strap to shake this 100-year design a notch.

Why did Françoise choose it ?

La Tortue is an emblematic model of Cartier, one of the first 3 wristwatches designed by the House. It holds the record for longevity in the Cartier collection, since it has almost never left it. And yet, Françoise finds it "forgotten" by most collectors. She particularly likes the in-between of the design: between the sharpness of a tank and the femininity of a bathtub.

History

The Santos Dumont was the first Cartier wristwatch in 1907, and represents a small watchmaking revolution. In 1912, were released together, the Tortue, inspired by tortoises, and the Baignoire (french for bathtub). Hang on tight, we are before the release of the first Tank (Tank Normale) in 1917! The Tortue experienced a new heyday in the 1930s, when it housed more complex movements (such as a a monopusher chronograph or a minute repeater). Almost never discontinued, it is undoubtedly the Cartier watch with the greatest longevity.