Cartier Paris 'Duoplan' Platinum Mini Bracelet Watch "Cal. 101", 1930s

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

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 and eventually introduced new offerings to their clientele. While the most recognizable watch models such as the Tank, Baignoire, and Santos Dumont are primarily celebrated and deseringly so, throughout Cartier's illustrious heritage the Maison created and produced numerous watch designs, from the most simple to extravagant. Being that Cartier was always a design and jewelry house first, they never really entered the realm of high-watchmaking themselves. Instead, the Maison was a resourceful collaborator with master watchmakers to supply the movement for their designs to encase, most notably Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre, as well as the European Watch & Clock Company which was a joint venture between Edmund Jaeger and Cartier. It's believed that one of the most innovative movements was developed through this collaboration, the Duo-Plan, changing the possibilities of watchmaking forever. Allegedly, Jaeger-LeCoultre developed the Duo-Plan movement for Cartier exclusively at first. This unique system was created to make the smallest possible watch movements, and this was accomplished by stacking the movement components on two planes, hence the name "Duo-Plan". This effectively reduced the footprint of the movement by half without compromising the integrity or quality of the components. The Duo-Plan movement family consisted of 4 calibers, with the cal. 101 being the smallest and still sparingly produced today, followed by the cal. 104, cal. 403, and the cal. 409 all slightly increasing in size respectively. It's believed that Cartier's exclusivity of the Duo-Plan ended in the 1920s, opening up JLC and other brands to create their own designs using the Duo-Plan system. That didn't stop Cartier from utilizing the Duo-Plan movement, however, with some incredibly unique watches being created by Cartier using the system throughout the 20th century. Demure, unique, and downright beautiful, this Cartier Duo-Plan from the 1930s is one of the smallest watches ever made, using the smallest movement ever created, the cal. 101. Cast is platinum and covered in French “dog head” hallmarks, this watch is effectively more bracelet than watch with its integrated design and symmetrical aesthetic with the backwind crown. Early examples like the one presented here rarely surface, especially in platinum or in an as well of preserved, fully original condition. Potentially a one-of-kind timepiece, ready to be worn and treasured by the next collector. SPECS Stock # CRTDPP Brand Cartier Style 'Duoplan' Mini Bracelet Watch Model Cal. 101 Serial 52XX Size Women's Material Platinum Dial White Millimeters 6 X 19.5 Bracelet Platinum Integrated Bracelet W/ 18K Rose Gold Clap Blades CASE & BRACELET The miniature platinum case is in exceptional condition, especially for its age, displaying honest signs of gentle use. The back of the case retains its original serial number under the backwind crown. Continuing past the case is the integrated platinum bracelet which features the "Dog Head" French platinum hallmark on a set of links on each side of the bracelet. Inside the bracelet clasp features an independent serial and is hallmarked as well. The clasp blades are made of 18K rose gold, which was deliberately used because the copper content in rose gold gives the alloy a natural springiness, the blades are hallmarked accordingly for 18K rose gold and also signed "Cartier Paris". The watch will fit up to a 6 1/4-inch wrist. DIAL & HANDS The diminutive white dial is believed to remain in its original state, showing no evidence of previous restoration. Naturally, dials in this era should exhibit some imperfections and lack of precision as they were created by hand on an extremely small plane. Apart from the expected and original imperfections, the dial remains in beautifully preserved condition, especially for its age, though it does show some elements of age and minor paint loss in the printing. The tiny blued steel hands are original and in exceptional condition. ACCESSORIES None. The watch was recently serviced and is running, however, the timekeeping of this movement is notoriously inconsistent. This watch is not waterproof.