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Cartier Pasha, 1990s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Cartier (maker)
Date
1990s
Country of origin
France
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 35 mm
Stock no.
40950222
Credit line
Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40950222)
Catalogue title (original)
Cartier Pasha (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40950222), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in France, dated 1990s. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 35 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 — Analog/Shift

No, it’s not a Tank. And yes, it deserves your undivided attention! While Parisian jeweler to the stars Cartier may be best known in horological circles for its famed Tank watch, the French firm produced –– and continues to produce –– numerous other watch models that deserve equal billing for their unique and sumptuous designs. The Pasha is one such design. Launched in 1985, it was supposedly inspired by the lines of a one-off commission from 1932 for the Pasha of Marrakesh that featured a screw-down, waterproof cap over the crown. None other than famed watch designer Gérald Genta was the one who revived the design in the 1980s, launching yet another winning collection for the famed Parisian jeweler and watchmaker. This particular example, a Reference W31015M7-2324, dates to the 1990s. It’s housed in a perfectly-sized 35mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal and features a white dial, printed ‘Arabic’ indices, applied hour markers, a date at 4:30 and a ‘sword’ handset. It also features the model's signature sapphire cabochon cap-and-chain crown protector and comes fitted to a signed multi-link bracelet equipped with a hidden deployant clasp. Everyone knows the Tank. This is an opportunity to thoroughly enjoy its equally compelling sibling!

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

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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