The Tortue de Cartier, an iconic watch creation that has long remained in the shadows, is finally emerging into the limelight. Delve into the fascinating history of this unique model that has left its mark on luxury watchmaking for over a century.
The Birth of an Icon: The Origins of the Turtle
Contrary to popular belief, Cartier is not just a jeweler. The Parisian house has a rich watchmaking history, of which the Tortue is one of the least known jewels. Created in 1912, five years before the famous Tank, this watch with a unique design takes its name from its shape evoking a turtle shell seen from above.
The Tortue is part of a line of innovative wristwatches launched by Cartier at the beginning of the 20th century, following the Santos-Dumont (1904) and the Tonneau (1906). However, it quickly distinguished itself from its predecessors by its ability to integrate sophisticated complications.
A cutting-edge technical feat
In 1928, the Tortue collection was enriched with two exceptional models: a monopusher chronograph and a minute repeater watch. These creations demonstrate Cartier's audacity and expertise in complicated watchmaking.
The Tortue monopusher chronograph, despite its modest dimensions of 25 mm wide by 35 mm long, impresses with its elegance and technicality. Its case with flowing lines cleverly integrates the pusher into the crown, thus preserving the purity of its design. Powered by a hand-wound European Watch & Clock Co. movement, equipped with a column wheel and a horizontal clutch, this model was produced in an ultra-limited series of less than 15 pieces.
The Tortue minute repeater, for its part, represents a real tour de force. Offering such a complication in a wristwatch at the end of the 1920s is quite an achievement. This 30 mm x 33 mm yellow gold model incorporates a mechanism capable of chiming the hours, quarters and minutes on demand, thanks to a discreet cursor on the left side of the case.
The CPCP era: renaissance and sophistication
After a period of industrial production in the 1970s and 1980s, Cartier returned to its watchmaking heritage by launching the Collection Privรฉe Cartier Paris (CPCP) in 1998. This initiative marked the return of the house's historic models, including the Tortue, in high-end mechanical versions.
The Tortue Monopoussoir CPCP, available in white, yellow and pink gold, stands out as one of the centerpieces of this collection. Its hand-wound 045 MC caliber, developed by Techniques Horlogรจres Appliquรฉes (THA), a company founded by master watchmakers Denis Flageollet, Vianney Halter and Franรงois-Paul Journe, heralds the advent of a new era in the production of in-house chronograph movements.
Other equally remarkable CPCP Turtles are emerging:
โ The Tortue Perpetual Calendar, powered by the 9421 MC caliberโ The Tortue XL with large date and 8-day power reserveโ The Tortue XL Day and Night with an oversized day/night indicatorโ The Tortue XL Tourbillon Chronograph Monopusherโ The Tortue Minute Repeater, a true masterpiece of fine watchmaking
These models benefit from exclusive movements developed in collaboration with prestigious manufacturers such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Renaud & Papi and Frรฉdรฉric Piguet.
The Evolution Continues: The Middle Years
After the CPCP program was discontinued in 2008, Cartier continued the development of the Tortue with new interpretations:
In 2010, the house launched the Tortue Quantiรจme Perpรฉtuel powered by the automatic caliber 9422 MC. This imposing model, measuring 41.2 mm in diameter, is distinguished by its original display: month and leap year indicator at 12 o'clock, retrograde day in the center and radial date on the periphery of the dial.
Between 2012 and 2013, Cartier unveiled several new Tortue models:
โ The Tortue XL with large date and small seconds, powered by the automatic caliber 9602 MCโ The Tortue XXL Multiple Time Zones, an innovative interpretation of the travel watch, equipped with the automatic caliber 9914 MC
The latter reinvents the display of time zones in an ingenious way: under a representation of the terrestrial globe in the center of the dial, there is an hour track with day/night hands for the reference time, while Breguet hands indicate the local time in a conventional manner. A clever system allows you to select a time zone and distinguish between summer and winter time according to the hemisphere.
The Private Renaissance: a return to the sources
In 2017, Cartier relaunched its historic collection under the name โPrivรฉโ, focusing each year on an emblematic model. The year 2024 marks the great return of the Tortue with several limited editions:
โ A modern Monopusher limited to 200 pieces in platinum and yellow goldโ A two-hand version also limited to 200 pieces in platinum and yellow goldโ A diamond-set edition in platinum, limited to 50 pieces
The new Monopusher retains the dimensions of its predecessor CPCP with a width of 34.8 mm and a thickness of 10.2 mm. It features a white opaline dial, a railway minute track, black (yellow gold version) or rhodium-plated (platinum version) Roman numeral hour markers, blued steel Breguet hands and guillochรฉ subdials. The hand-wound 1928 MC caliber, visible through a sapphire crystal case back, is specially designed to fit the unique shape of the case.
The two-hand version, measuring 32.9 mm in diameter, incorporates the aesthetic codes of the house while offering a refined reading of time.
The Promising Future of the Turtle
With its curved case, elegant dial and ability to accommodate various complications, the Tortue has established itself as one of Cartier's most versatile and fascinating watchmaking creations. More than a century after its birth, it is finally attracting the attention it deserves.
Auction prices for vintage and CPCP models continue to climb, reflecting the growing interest of collectors in this exceptional piece. As historical research on the Turtle intensifies, we can expect continued interest in this captivating collection.
Cartier continues to explore the potential of this iconic design, promising exciting new interpretations for lovers of fine watchmaking. The Tortue, long in the shadows, is now establishing itself as a staple of the Parisian house's watchmaking heritage.
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