313-1 - CARTIER Square ladies' jewelry watch, circa 1950

CARTIER Square ladies' jewelry watch, circa 1950 Square case, approximately 20 x 20 mm, in platinum, with a dog-head hallmark; yellow gold case back; yellow gold folding clasp; fine leather strap. Bezel set with 56 rose-cut diamonds, edged with “millegrain” metal beads; cream-colored dial with Roman numerals and a minute track; blued steel Dauphine hands. CARTIER signature at 12 o’clock. Crown set with a rose-cut diamond. Mechanical movement with 22 jewels, signed CARTIER; reference number 852 is visible. The movement was in working order upon examination, though one jewel is cracked. In 1919, Cartier partnered with Edmond Jaeger to form the European Watch & Clock Co., which supplied Cartier with ultra-thin manual-winding mechanical movements (typically 18 jewels), often manufactured from LeCoultre ébauches Cartier produced superb Art Deco jewelry watches in the 1920s and 1930s on commission for its boutiques in Paris, London, and New York. Between 1940 and 1960, Cartier continued to produce these superb Art Deco-style pieces on request, primarily for Cartier New York: The Cartier-signed movement bears the inscriptions “Adjusted to three (3) positions, to temperatures,” “Twenty-two (22) jewels,” and “Cartier Swiss.” This practice of writing the number of jewels in both words and numerals complied with U.S. customs regulations in effect from the late 1930s through the early 1940s. This superb CARTIER watch features a gold folding clasp with a platinum clasp set with 36 rose-cut diamonds. Very beautiful overall patina with minor signs of normal wear from age.