2022 Cartier Crash 'NSO' 18K WG (Ref. WGCH0055) W/ Full Set

The Cartier name is synonymous with luxury and has been since the brand's inception in 1847. Offering bespoke and unique jewelry to the world’s elite allowed Cartier to grow steadily through the 19th century. After the division of Cartier in the 1960s, the Paris, London, and New York stores began operating independently with each Maison creating new and unique designs for their respective locations. Of the 3 houses, it is understood by many collectors and historians that the Cartier London house was the most exciting, bold, and experimental in its designs, especially with wristwatches. 

The most famous of these Cartier London concepts, and arguably one of the most iconic wristwatch designs of all time, is the Cartier Crash. Introduced in 1967 from the London house, the origins of the Crash remained a mystery to the watch world for decades, with many speculating that the watch was inspired by a Cartier Baignoire Allongee that was deformed in a firey car crash, which is the origin of the name, or that it was inspired by the surrealist painting 'Persistence of Memory' from famous painter Salvidor Dali. However, with the release of the book The Cartiers by Francesca Cartier Brickell, we now understand the Crash design was the collaborative effort of Jean-Jacques Cartier and Rupert Emmerson playing with the idea of a distorted wristwatch to contrast the perceived design personality of the brand at the time.

The very first London Crash iterations seldomly are presented for sale due to diminutive original production numbers, though the few that have surfaced have reached record numbers in recent auctions. In 1991, Cartier Paris reintroduced the Crash in a limited run of 400 pieces with a modestly modernized design, to which has found its own market and collector base. Since then, the Cartier Crash has been released in unique configurations with limited quantities, such as the skeletonized dial variations.

The Cartier new special order watches, or 'NSO' watches, is a special custom design program for established Cartier clients to create their dream version of any Cartier wristwatch, within reason, and as long as the idea is approved by Cartier HQ. With that, this program has allowed Cartier collectors to introduce new ideas and concepts to the already established Cartier design offerings, bringing numerous unique or seemingly unique iterations to life.

We are extremely proud to present this exceptionally beautiful, charming, and rarely seen Cartier Crash in 18K white gold, conceptualized from the Cartier NSO program in 2022, and one of less than 10 known white gold Crash to exist from the modern era. This example comes to us in exceptionally well-preserved, minimally worn condition, with its original box and papers set.