This Coveted 1972 Cartier Pebble Could Fetch up to $237,000 at Auction Next Month
Vintage Cartier watches are having a bit of a moment, and Bonhams wants to ensure you stay bang on trend.
The auction house is offering an exceptionally rare Pebble from 1972 at its Fine Watches sale in London next month. The classic timepiece, which was produced the year the model officially came to market, has an exceptional pedigree and appears to be in great condition for its age.
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Coming directly from the original owner, the first series features a distinctive size and color combination. It pairs a 35 mm polished 18-karat yellow-gold case with a cream diamond-shaped dial and black Roman numerals. It is believed to be one of fewer than 10 such Pebbles ever produced. As a result, it is expected to fetch between roughly $178,000 and $237,000 at the upcoming December auction.
The Pebble has recently experienced a renaissance of sorts. This will be the second time a variation of the watch has appeared at Bonhams, with the first selling in June 2021 for around $254,000. Another example from 1972 sold for roughly $405,000 at a Phillips auction the same year. Cartier is also releasing an exclusive 50th-anniversary edition of the model later this month. However, the Bonhams sale gives collectors an opportunity to own an original ahead of the reissue.
“The Cartier Pebble is a unique timepiece to come to auction in such a significant anniversary year,” Jonathan Darracott, global head of watches at Bonhams, said in a statement. “We are delighted to offer this alongside other exceptional items including the single-owner collection of Heuers showing the design evolution over the years from the 1960s through to the ’80s.”
Models within the expansive, 42-piece Heuer collection include an Autavia “Big Sub,” a Monaco “Steve McQueen” Valjoux 72 and an Autavia “Jo Siffert.” In addition, you can expect a selection of other blue-chip watches, such as a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Paul Newman, an OMEGA Seamaster 300 issued to the Royal Navy, a Vacheron Constantin 222 and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Rhone-Fustierie.
The Fine Watches auction will take place on Wednesday, December 14 at Bonhams’s New Bond Street location in London. Previews of the sale will run from Sunday, December 11 up until the morning of Wednesday, December 14.
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