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McCabe McCarty London ‘Tank’ White Gold & Diamond, 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
McCabe McCarty (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
18k White Gold
Dimensions
Diameter 19 mm
Stock no.
CUR407
Credit line
Dealer listing, Watches of Knightsbridge (CUR407)
Catalogue title (original)
McCabe McCarty London ‘Tank’ White Gold & Diamond (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Watches of Knightsbridge (dealer), London (stock number CUR407), this is a wristwatch by McCabe McCarty, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18k White Gold. Recorded dimensions: Diameter 19 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 McCabe McCarty London White Gold & Diamond wristwatch in “Tank” form, circa 1970s. The watch features a manual-wind calibre 841 by Jaeger-LeCoultre, white Roman numeral dial and blue cabochon crown. The case features original factory pavé-set diamonds with matching diamond-set deployant clasp in white & rose gold. McCabe McCarty, founded in 1973 by goldsmiths Peter McCabe and David McCarty. Peter McCabe was trained at the Central School of Arts & Crafts, and David McCarthy was apprenticed to the revered Wright & Davies worship from 1959 (owned by Cartier London). David worked for Cartier London at Wright & Davis until 1973 when Jean-Jacques Cartier sold the business. David left to establish his own company with the help of Peter McCabe which became renowned for fine commissions and Bond Street collaborations with Cartier, Garrard, Asprey, and others. After Peter’s passing in 1991, David continued the firm with his children, today producing bespoke creations under David McCarty Ltd., including commissions for Heads of State.

Specifications — Watches of Knightsbridge

Metal: 18k White Gold; Movement: Manual Wind JLC Cal. 841; Case diameter: 19mm by 26mm; Bracelet/strap: Molequin Leather Strap, Original Pink Gold & Diamond Deployant Clasp

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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