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Cartier Incurvée, White Enamel 'Paris' Dial with JLC Movement — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Cartier Incurvée, White Enamel 'Paris' Dial with JLC Movement

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Cartier (maker)
Date
c. late 1960s
Country of origin
France
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 26 mm
Stock no.
OC3082
Credit line
Dealer listing, Oliver & Clarke (OC3082)
Catalogue title (original)
Cartier Incurvée - White Enamel 'Paris' Dial w/ JLC Movement (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Oliver & Clarke (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number OC3082), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in France, dated c. late 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 26 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Oliver & Clarke

Cartier's catalog is full of pieces that don't bear "Tank" in front of the model name, and many remain overlooked or flat out unknown to the vast majority of consumers. Introduced in the late 1960s, the Incurvée is a is a textbook of an example of one such model. Also known as a 'Feberge,' these were produced in a handful of variants over the years, in a number of different metals, sizes, and with different movements. The piece that we have here is a very early example dating to circa the late 1960s. It features a lovely curved case measuring 26mm x 32mm, with 'hooded' or hidden lugs, a sapphire cabochon crown. Inside the white enamel 'Paris' dial within retains its crisp white color, fantastic black printing, and is complimented by a characteristic matching blued-steel 'sword' handset. This piece is powered by a rare manual-winding movement by Jaeger-LeCoultre found only in the earliest examples of the model. If nothing from the Tank or Santos family speaks to you, this might just be a perfect alternative, and quite a bit more rare.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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