Cartier Crash Limited Edition 2013 Unveiled

Haute jeweller and timepiece producer Cartier has recently announced the release of four new limited edition Crash models, a line with a significant history.

First introduced in 1967 by Cartier London, many chronograph aficionados are under the impressions that the inspiration for the Cartier Crash came from the world of surreal art, namely Salvador Dali’s famous melting watches from his 1931 masterpiece The Persistence of Memory.  However, the real story is surprisingly more interesting.

A vice president of Cartier London was involved in a fiery automobile collision; the watch he happened to be wearing, a Cartier Bagnoire Allongee, melted in a shape resembling the famous Dali melted watches.  Jean-Jacques Cartier, who was the head of Cartier London, found the shape to be inspiring and ended up reproducing it, thus creating the Crash line.

The Crash watch was re-issued in 1991 and 1993, and is now considered one of the most desired collector’s pieces.  The new versions for 2013 are designed especially for women.

The watches are adorned with bracelets consisting of tear-drop shaped white or pink gold; more elaborate versions of the bracelet can are adorned with diamonds totalling 4.27 carats.  The watch dial measures 38.45mm X 25.5mm in diameter, and features a solid case-back with a vintage-type mineral crystal which is above the dial. The simpler version of the watch contains 150 diamonds, while the more elaborate version contains 427 brilliant-cut gems.

The watches have manually wound movements; 267 of the simpler versions will be available while only 67 pieces will feature the gem-set bracelets.

Story and photo source:  www.luxois.com