Fixed

Cartier Tank Basculante ref W1011158 is a fascinating edition of the broader Tank collection because it features a vertical flipping case hence the model name which translates to "seesaw" or "tipper."  It works via a convenient "cabriolet" system developed by Spécialités Horlogères that allows the wearer to flip the watch face upside down to reveal the case back by pulling on the blue cabochon tab at 12 o'clock. This design was initially meant to protect the watch during sports and was developed by the same company as the famous Reverso Jaeger-LeCoultre. In fact the original model was released in 1933 just one year after the Reverso came to market. The aptly named "cabriolet" (a French term for convertible) can also remain upright essentially turning the watch into a tiny desk clock.  Production was intermittent until around a decade ago when the watch also commonly called the Tank Cabriolet or Reversible Basculante was finally discontinued.  We have a remarkable example for sale here today in stainless steel featuring a 22MM x 25MM case and a quartz movement.

Cartier Santos 100 ref W20073X8 was released in 2004 to mark the Santos' centenary. As the story goes the watch was among the first men's wristwatches when it was developed in the early 1900s and was inspired by aviator and friend of the Cartier family Alberto Santos-Dumont.  It had a square-shaped case with visible screw heads a cabochon-decorated crown and a Roman numeral dial just like the 100th anniversary Cartier for sale here.  This 38mm model features a leather strap luminescent sword-shaped hands scratch-resistant sapphire and the Cartier calibre 049 self-winding mechanical movement.  It's a great all-rounder with outstanding wrist presence for times when you want to make a lasting impression.

Cartier Crash first appeared in the French Maison's catalog in 1967.  Rumors of the uniquely shaped watch's origins have swirled for decades ranging from Salvador Dali's surrealist painting The Persistence of Memory to more radically a Baignoire Allongée that melted in a car crash creating the unique form.  However according to Cartier descendant Francesca Cartier Brickell who researched her family's prestigious firm extensively the story is much more tame although still crash-inspired as its name would suggest.As the story goes Jean-Jacques set out to develop a watch "unlike any other " working closely with designer Rupert Emmerson to transform the traditional oval-shaped case into something that might look like it was in a car accident.  Each end of the case has a pinched look so it's understandable why some might connect the Cartier Crash and Dali's mind-bending aesthetic. The collection's history is much more involved than that but it ultimately produced a spectacular collection of boundary-breaking watches some with skeleton dials and even diamond-encrusted bezels like our example. Although Cartier still makes the watch today it's still incredibly exclusive and rare.  It isn't likely you'll spot watches like this one out in the wild. This example from the 1970s is an 18k yellow gold model with an ivory Roman numeral dial leather strap and sapphire crystal. It's a spectacular display of Cartier's unique design language that will undoubtedly become the crowning jewel of your watch box.