
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Cartier New York Ronde Yellow Gold, circa 1970
- Maker / attribution
- Cartier (maker)
- Date
- c. 1970
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- United States
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- 14k Solid Gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter 32 mm
- Stock no.
- CUR598
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Watches of Knightsbridge (CUR598)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Cartier New York Ronde Yellow Gold (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Watches of Knightsbridge (dealer), London (stock number CUR598), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in United States, dated c. 1970. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 14k Solid Gold. Recorded dimensions: Diameter 32 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 — Watches of Knightsbridge
A rare and unusual Cartier Ronde made for Cartier New York circa 1970. The elegant 32mm 14k solid gold rounded case remains in great condition, with crisp hallmarks and Cartier stock numbers on the back of the lugs. The watch is complemented by a distinctive original white dial with contrasting black Roman numerals, Cartier New York font and original hands. A blue cabochon crown adds a touch of signature Cartier elegance. The watch is powered by a Concord manual-wind calibre 259 movement (Concord being one of a number of suppliers for Cartier New York at the time).
Specifications — Watches of Knightsbridge
Metal: 14k Solid Gold; Movement: Concord Watch Co. Manual Wind Cal. 259; Case diameter: 32mm; Bracelet/strap: Brown Leather Strap
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
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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