Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Cartier Tortue Ultra Thin 18kt Yellow Gold, 1980s
- Maker / attribution
- Cartier (maker)
- Date
- 1980s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- France
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- yellow gold
- Dimensions
- Case 28 mm
- Stock no.
- W-2503
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-2503)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Cartier Tortue Ultra Thin 18kt Yellow Gold Box and Papers (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-2503), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in France, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: yellow gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 28 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 — Bulang & Sons
This is a wonderfully slim Cartier Tortue, the French word for tortoise. Known as the master of shapes, Cartier’s Tortue is another fascinating case design from the brand but this time the watch is very slim, unlike other Tortues, thanks to the superb Frederic Piguet movement! This superbly sized Tortue in 18 k yellow gold measures 36 x 28mm the white dial features black painted Roman numerals and a railroad track. The watch has delicate blued steel hands and the crown a blue cabochon winding crown. This is a full collector set including inner and outer boxes, the original certificate that states a sale in 1986 and a booklet. The watch is fitted with an original Cartier slightly worn leather strap that has a gold-plated Cartier buckle and it also comes with a new Bulang and Sons strap. The watch is powered by a mechanical hand-winding Calibre 21 Frederic Piguet movement. The watch has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. We love this extra -platte guy , super comfy and stylish ! If you love it as much as we do, please get in touch to discuss this stunning beauty in more depth and maybe book a visit to our lounge. Specifications: - Cartier Tortue - Yellow gold case 26 x 36mm - Serial 9608xxxx dates to 1980s - White dial - Blued hands and blue cabochon winder - Frederic Piguet calibre 21 manual wind movement”ultra -thin” - Original Cartier leather strap with gold plated buckle - New Bulang and Sons strap - Cartier boxes, booklet and certificate stating sale in 1986 - Fully serviced by our watchmaker - Includes a handmade leather watch pouch
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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