Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
Lot 20Y
Cartier. A fine and rare 18K white gold manual wind single button chronograph wristwatch Collection Privée, Tortue Monopoussoir, Ref: 2396, Circa 1999
11 December 2025, 14:30 GMT
London, New Bond Street£20,000 - £30,000
Ask about this lot
Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Charles Dower
Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Sarah Fergusson
Senior Specialist
George Kidwell
Senior Cataloguer
Edith Chong
Cataloguer
Joselyn Sizer
Sale Coordinator
Cartier. A fine and rare 18K white gold manual wind single button chronograph wristwatch
Model: Collection Privée, Tortue Monopoussoir
Reference: 2396
Date: Circa 1999
Movement: 22-jewel Cal.045MC manual wind, column wheel chronograph
Dial: Guilloché engraved silvered, applied polished dot hour markers with Roman numeral 12, blue outer minute track and 1/5th second divisions, subsidiary dials at 3 and 9 for seconds and 30 minute recording, blued steel Breguet style hands, centre chronograph hand
Case: Polished tonneau form, exhibition back secured by 8 screws, single chronograph button set within cabochon set crown, No.0361CC
Strap/Bracelet: Burgundy Cartier alligator leather
Buckle/Clasp: Signed 18K white gold folding clasp
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 34mm
Reference: 2396
Date: Circa 1999
Movement: 22-jewel Cal.045MC manual wind, column wheel chronograph
Dial: Guilloché engraved silvered, applied polished dot hour markers with Roman numeral 12, blue outer minute track and 1/5th second divisions, subsidiary dials at 3 and 9 for seconds and 30 minute recording, blued steel Breguet style hands, centre chronograph hand
Case: Polished tonneau form, exhibition back secured by 8 screws, single chronograph button set within cabochon set crown, No.0361CC
Strap/Bracelet: Burgundy Cartier alligator leather
Buckle/Clasp: Signed 18K white gold folding clasp
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 34mm
Footnotes
In 1998, Cartier paid homage to its classic heritage by introducing the Collection Privée Cartier Paris, a limited series showcasing timeless designs with traditional mechanical movements from the previous century. The Collection Privée, or CPCP, marks a transitional period in Cartier's watchmaking history. After several years of focusing mainly on lady's quartz watches, Cartier delved into their archives and brought back historic designs that hadn't been in production for many years. The focus of the CPCP was on high quality design, movements and craftsmanship. This exclusive series produced in limited numbers until 2008 included the Crash, Chinoise, Obus, Tank Cintrée and Asymétrique to name a few.
The original Cartier Tortue first appeared in the brands' repertoire over a century ago after Louis Cartier first designed the piece in 1912. French for turtle, the Tortue has a gently curved case and traditionally was a time-only piece. In 1999, as part of the CPCP, Cartier introduced the Tortue Monopoussoir which houses the calibre 045MC by THA Ebauche. THA Ebauche was the brainchild of the soon to be superstars of the independent world, Vianney Halter, Denis Flageollet and Francois-Paul Journe. It is no wonder then why in the past few years CPCP models have been gaining popularity among collectors, especially as neo-vintage watches gain more traction in the market.