Slow and Steady? The Enduring Appeal of Cartier’s Tortue Wristwatch

Posted on November 13, 2024November 22, 2024 by Liz Bailey

French for ‘Turtle,’ the Cartier Tortue gets its name from its distinctive tortoise shell shaped case. The Tortue was Cartier’s third ever watch case design, predating even the ever-popular Tank. Louis Cartier had just introduced the Santos-Dumont in 1904 and the Tonneau in 1906 when he designed the Tortue in 1912.

Cartier’s First Ever Chronograph

The Tortue started out as a time-only watch but in 1928, both a minute repeater and a single-button chronograph were introduced. The Tortue Monopusher was in fact Cartier’s first ever chronograph timepiece. These early pieces are incredibly rare, and less than fifteen pieces have ever surfaced on the open market. In 2002, Antiquorum sold a 1929 Cartier Tortue ref. 20797 – a rare example of a minute repeating watch and at the time thought to have been the only minute repeater made by Cartier during the Art Deco period. This piece set auction records, and achieved a hammer of CHF 993,500, or £877,871.50. Two years later in 2004, Antiquorum unearthed and sold a 1928 example of a Tortue Minute Repeater ref. 20797 and this piece achieved $640,500.

Throughout the 20th century, Cartier have produced many variations of the Tortue, in steel, yellow gold and platinum. Popularised as a ladies watch and gaining celebrity fans such as Cate Blanchett and Patti Smith, these watches have been available to purchase on the secondary market, performing steadily on an upwards trajectory.

For example, the Cartier Tortue reference 2496C which was produced from 1998-2008 is a time-only, 34mm, 18ct yellow gold watch with silvered dial and classic Cartier dial with Roman numeral markers, chapter ring and blued steel Breguet style hands. According to Chrono 24, the average value of this watch took a typical post-covid dip from those dizzy heights in watch collecting, however has been steadily increasing over the last 18 months, with the average sale figure on the secondary market now sitting at £12,500 (rising from a modest £5,000 pre-covid).

Re-imagined and launched at this year’s Watches & Wonders, the 2024 Privé Tortue is the eighth instalment in Cartier’s latest Privé collection. Celebrating 112 years since the inception of the original Cartier Tortue, the maison introduced a collection of time-only and more excitingly chronograph Privé Tortue models, each limited to 200 numbered pieces – except for a diamond and platinum monopusher (or monopoussoir in French) watch limited to 50 pieces.

Model	Production Quantity	Price at Watches & Wonders 2024 (Source: Hodinkee)
Platinum Privé Tortue Monopoussir Watch	200	€53,000
Yellow Gold Privé Tortue Monopoussir Watch	200	€46,000
Platinum Privé Tortue Watch	200	€31,100
Yellow Gold Privé Tortue Watch	200	€27,900
Platinum Diamond Privé Tortue Watch	50	€67,735 (£56,500, Source: Cartier)

With production numbers limited and many models already sold out – at the time of writing only the platinum diamond Privé Tortue and the platinum Privé Tortue were still available to purchase new from Cartier – it will be interesting to see the rise in value for these timepieces, particularly the Monopoussir references with their sleek classic design, impressively ‘simple’ one button chronograph complication and distinctive red ruby cabochon crown.

In what remains an ever-changing market, current and up-to-date and specialist watch valuations are incredibly important to ensure that your collection is adequately covered. For an insurance valuation of your collection from our specialist, nationwide team, contact our team via [email protected] or visit our website www.doerrvaluations.co.uk.

Designer Jewellery Trends – An Upward Curve?

Posted on April 2, 2024November 15, 2024 by Liz Bailey

There is no doubt that values in the designer jewellery field have seen uplifts in the past few years. A unique combination of the Post Pandemic luxury goods ‘boom’, an exponential rise in social media influences on buying patterns, wider inflation and bullion prices have all contributed to an incredibly buoyant and enduring atmosphere.

Similarly to the trends seen over the last couple of years in the watch market, particular designer brands saw a huge increase in popularity, visibility, and subsequent demand on the secondary market, with only a slight respite towards the end of 2023 (Reuters).

Coupled with retail prices ever increasing, the value of these ‘hot’ designer items have been pushed up on the secondary market. Value factors include condition, whether the piece has its box, and the perceived popularity or rarity of any gemstones used in the design.

Cartier

Whilst Cartier’s growth in the retail sphere appeared to be easing towards the end of last year, share prices and figures released in January 2024 display a definite upward curve driven by demand in Asia. This healthy overall trajectory has filtered down to the secondary market, with Cartier items at auction demonstrating a strong sales rate and frequently exceeding estimate.

‘Love’

The last retail price increase for Cartier was implemented in early 2023, with prices rising from anywhere between 3% to over 10%. The most sought-after and iconic collections naturally increased the most, with Pursebop estimating the retail price of an 18ct white gold Love Bracelet set with four diamonds increasing 7% to £12,200.

The Cartier ‘Love’ bangle is one of the most popular items of jewellery ever designed. Created by Aldo Cipullo in 1969 and were referred to as a ‘modern love handcuff,’ only removable with the help of a mini screwdriver.

Worth noting that some designs, including Aldo Cipullo original LOVE jewels from the 1960s onwards will always command a premium for their place in the brand’s design history. Another 1960s design by Cipullo to continue to grow in retail price is the Juste Un Clou, with a ‘small’ diamond set bangle selling for £4,850, and a diamond-set choker necklace now retailing at £105,000.

Cartier Trinity

This year, to celebrate 100 years of the Trinity Collection, Cartier has released two new designs, a re-edition of the XL bracelet and an XL version of the iconic ring. Maintaining the timeless appeal and enduring relevance of this beautiful collection has seen values continue to rise over decades, resulting in a classic collection that is still coveted a century after its creation.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Another brand under the Richemont umbrella is Van Cleef & Arpels. Van Cleef & Arpels was established in 1895 following the marriage of Estelle Arpels, daughter of a dealer in precious stones, and Alfred Van Cleef, son of a lapidary. Creating masterpieces such as the ‘invisible setting,’ the minaudière, and the zip necklace, this iconic jewellery house is perhaps best known in present times for the ‘Alhambra’ collection. Indeed, according to statistics by retailer Watch Pilot, in 2023, the Van Cleef Alhambra bracelet was the most Google searched item of jewellery by category.

VCA Alhambra

Designed in 1968 by Jacques Arpels to be symbolic for luck, the Alhambra Collection is designed around a series of quatrefoil ‘four leaf clover’ panels. Varying in designs with quantity, size, and gem material, these beautifully set clover shapes are truly emblematic of the brand. Worn by royalty and celebrities to include the likes of Princess Grace of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor, Kate Middleton and many more, the Alhambra collection possesses a truly timeless appeal.

Since 2022, the retail price for an 18ct gold Alhambra bracelet with five mother of pearl motifs has increased by 5.3% to £3,950.

At auction, the Van Cleef Alhambra pieces that well exceeded estimates were limited edition runs and unique pieces that were impossible to procure from the retail market.

One such example was a striking collar necklace, formed from openwork Alhambra links in 18ct yellow gold, selling at Bonhams in 2022 for £50,000 against a £12,000-15,000 estimate.

Boodles

Boodle & Dunthorne was established in Liverpool in 1795, gaining a reputation as one of Britain’s finest jewellers. Rebranding to ‘Boodles’ in 2004, this coveted brand has designed several sought-after jewellery collections that continue to enjoy increases in value as the years go by. Collections such as the Velocity, Blossom, and Raindance are all designed and handcrafted in-house from Boodles’ workshops in the heart of London.

Raindance

Designed in 2000 and inspired by a trip to the Chelsea Flower Show in which Head of Design Rebecca Hawkins admired the way light played on raindrops, the Raindance Collection is seen as one of the brand’s most iconic collections. Indeed, the Victoria & Albert Museum has a Raindance ring on display as part of their ‘Best of British Design’ permanent exhibition.

Featuring a series of collet set diamonds in varying sizes and angles, these beautiful jewels are retailing from £3,400 for a single band set with three circular rubies or sapphires and a pair of brilliant cut diamonds. At the top end of the spectrum is the Raindance ‘Chelsea’ bracelet, set with over 15 carats of colourless and fancy pink diamonds at £134,400.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020, Boodles released a limited-edition ring, set in platinum and 18ct rose gold with colourless and Argyle pink diamonds. Varying in carat weights, these limited edition pieces will continue to grow in value and hold their own at auction. In 2023, one such example with approximately 2.80cts of diamonds sold at Tennants Auctioneers for £19,000. Meanwhile, a version of the design on Boodles website set with 4.25cts is available for purchase at £84,000.

To conclude, exquisitely constructed and expertly finished jewellery will always possess a value, and continue to rise according to demand, popularity and inflation over time.

Although trends and fashionable collections will alter and vary over the years, items from the premier jewellery houses, in good condition and with original boxes will retain a demand from collectors, jewellery lovers and indeed those new to the market. Pieces that possess an unusual or rare aspect, such as an early piece from the collection, limited edition runs, and unexpected gemstones can expect to exponentially increase in value over time.

With the clear discrepancy between open market value and retail replacement value, it is essential that clients are equipped with adequate cover for their items. For a specialist, informed and up to date valuation of your jewellery collection, contact our experienced, nationwide team at Doerr Dallas Valuations.

Oscars 2023, Dazzled by Snakes, Green Gems and Timeless Chic

Posted on March 21, 2023January 3, 2025 by Aurélia Turrall

Bvlgari strikes again with their Serpenti collection wrapped around Angela Bassett, Cara Delevingne and the outstanding screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Angela Bassett wore matching diamond-set necklace and bangle by Bvlgari, mounted in 18ct white gold. A similar necklace was sold at Sotheby’s in November 2021 with an estimate of CHF 220,000 – 325,000. The necklace set with approximately 70 carats of diamonds sold for CHF 252,000 (approximately £230,000).

Bvlgari retails a diamond-set bangle in white gold for £81,000 and is set with just under nine carats of diamonds.

Simpler versions of the bracelet can be found in yellow or rose gold for £5,300.

Matching her Dolce & Gabbana gown, Phoebe Waller-Bridge wore a diamond and emerald-set Serpenti necklace mounted in rose gold.

Bvlgari currently retails a rose gold diamondset Serpenti Viper necklace in rose gold for £45,900, with 4.41 carats of diamonds.

One of the show stoppers of the evening was stunning Cara Delevingne. In the style of Old Hollywood, she embodied chic and glamour in an off the shoulder Elie Saab gown with bow and high leg slit.

The outfit was completed with diamond and emeralds in the form of Serpenti threestrand necklace matching bracelet, Serpenti Seduttori earrings and ring.

From the same Seduttori emerald and diamond collection, a ring currently retails for £12,700. The coiled body is set with 0.57 carat of diamonds and the eyes are highlighted by 0.20 carat pear-shaped emeralds.

Moving away from the Serpenti collection was the appearance of the Diva’s Dream jewellery collection worn by Rainsford Qualley, Andie MacDowell’s daughter.

Chic and understated, the earrings are set with mother-of-pearl and mounted in white gold. The Diva’s Dream mother-of-pearl earring range is priced from £2,130 to £2,760 with a diamond surround.

For those not adorned in Bvlgari, exquisite green-gemmed jewellery certainly made a statement on the red carpet.

Sofia Carson wore a superb Chopard emerald and diamond necklace featuring seven octagonal-shaped emeralds totalling 122.49 carats along with 92.57 carats of pear-shaped, marquise, baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds set in white gold jewellery from the brand’s “Haute Joaillerie Collection.”

Fellow actress Jessica Chastain also opted for Haute Joaillerie collection from Franco- Italian designer Gucci, complementing the strapless sequined gown also by the designer. However, unlike Sofia Carson, the green gems were not emeralds but tsavorites, a form of garnet, 80 carats worth.

Other famous jewellery designer to include the green gem in its design is Cartier, with the famous Panthère collection.

This diamond, onyx, and tsavorite garnet necklace was sold for GBP 37,500 at Sotheby’s in June 2016.

Cartier was certainly a contender for the most jaw-dropping piece of jewellery of this 95th Award ceremony with a large pear-shaped yellow sapphire worn by Deepika Padukone.

Though yellow sapphires are less expensive than yellow diamonds, they are nonetheless breathtakingly beautiful and perfectly accentuate any black outfit!

Understated? Perhaps not quite, but maybe more subtle than the Serpenti collection, the yellow sapphire necklace by Cartier was my winner for this year’s Oscars. Not to say I would turn down being draped in Bvlgari Serpenti jewels to accept my award for best screenplay!

This might just be one Diva’s Dream but then anything’s possible in Hollywood, so carry on dreaming…

Princess Catherine’s jewellery

Posted on January 9, 2023January 15, 2025 by Aurélia Turrall

From Everyday Mum To Future Queen, A Jewel For Every Occasion

It all started with a proposal…

One of the most famous items of jewellery the Princess of Wales has come to possess, is the “Royal Blue” sapphire engagement ring, which belonged to her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana. It is probably the most famous sapphire, weighing 12 carats and set within a surround of brilliant-cut diamonds.

In 1981, chosen by the then Prince Charles, for Diana, from the official royal jewellers Garrard, the sapphire ring cost £50,000. Because of the provenance and history of the ring, it has become a priceless piece of jewellery, but one could estimate its current price to be around £500,000.

The world’s most expensive sapphire to sell at auction was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on the 7th October 2015. It weighed 27.68 carats of natural Kashmir origin and made $6,702,564, $242,415 per carat.

For her wedding, Queen Elizabeth II lent the Cartier Halo Tiara to the Duchess. It was made in 1936 and comprises of 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds, and it was purchased by King George VI (then still Duke of York) for his wife, Elizabeth (who we all know better as the Queen Mother), which she wore to a charity ball at Claridge’s in London, their first gala outing since the official ending of the lengthy court mourning period for the late King George V.

To match Catherine’s engagement ring, the Duke of Cambridge gifted a pair of sapphire and diamond cluster earrings from his mother’s personal collection. The Princess simply had them altered to be drops rather than clips.

The Princess is often seen combining her engagement ring with a classic 33mm Cartier Ballon Bleu wristwatch. Mounted in stainless steel, it is decorated with Roman numerals, fluted crown with a synthetic spinel cabochon, silvered guilloché opaline dial, blued-steel sword-shaped hands, sapphire crystal and steel bracelet. It currently retails for £5,400.

When Catherine gave birth to Prince George, Prince William gifted her the Eclipse diamond ring by Annoushka. It is set with 0.23ct total of diamonds and retails at £1,500.

She wears it in combination with her engagement ring.

For the arrival of Princess Charlotte, the then Duke of Cambridge this time choose another designer, Kiki McDonough, and gifted the Duchess a pair of green tourmaline and green amethyst drop earrings.

She was first spotted wearing these during the couple’s tour of India in 2016. Though these were made-to-order for the Princess, you can currently get a pair of similar earrings (below) from the designer for £3,700. These are green amethyst and diamond earrings, mounted in yellow gold.

The Princess owns several pieces by the designer: 18 pairs of earrings and three necklace to date.

Here are some examples:

The Princess has jewellery for every occasion, as can be expected. Her everyday jewels include the above by designer jewellers, but Catherine also favours high street jewellery, such as the below by Accesorize.

These are no longer available but can be found on eBay ranging from £48 to a whopping £96.96 (plus £10.77 for postage!).

It was rumoured that when Prince Louis was born, the Prince gave Catherine a citrine ring, but it was discovered by fans that the Princess had previously worn it in 2008 while celebrating her birthday.

The ring is beautiful and has meaning for the Princess. She was also seen wearing it for the premiere of the last James Bond film, No Time to Die, to match the golden sequinned gown by Jenny Packham.

Perhaps my favourite dress worn by the Princess.

When the Princess is not at a red carpet event or formal gala, the mother of three has been seen to wear a necklace by Spells of Love retailing for £85, suspending three medallions with the initial of each child.

Catherine also wears a Merci Maman necklace gifted to her by her sister, Pippa, after the birth of Prince George in 2014.

For more formal wear, the Princess has been seen wearing brooches, tiaras and exceptional necklaces, such as the four-row pearl chocker, created using a collection of cultured pearls gifted to the Queen by the Japanese government which Catherine wore to Prince Philip’s funeral in April, 2021. In mourning, the Royals don’t wear colour, so pearls are pure, white, and unflashy. This tradition comes from Queen Victoria, who did not want to wear any colour following the death of her husband Prince Albert.

The late Princess Diana also wore it to a state banquet in the Netherlands.

A very sombre then Duchess of Cambridge wore the historical chocker for the Queen’s funeral earlier this year.

The Princess combined the tiara worn by the late Princess Diana (above) with her engagement ring of course but also the Royal Family Order brooch, representing the late Monarch within a diamond surround.

The tiara, called the Lover’s Knot tiara, was lent to Diana as seen below, then went back to the Queen, and upon her passing, is now worn exclusively by Princess Catherine.

Several of Queen Elizabeth’s II jewels will have been passed down to the Queen Consort and several to Catherine.

Recently, the Princess wowed us with this stunning emerald and diamond choker. She stepped out at the Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston in a bright green gown by Solace London, paired with an emerald-and-diamond choker, once owned by Princess Diana. The choker itself was first owned by Queen Mary in 1911, and later presented to Diana as a wedding gift to Prince Charles in 1981.

In this year’s Christmas pictures, the Princess wears a pair of ruby and diamond cluster earrings, made by Soru in Turkey, and retail for £145.

Whatever the occasion, Princess Catherine never disappoints with her exquisite outfits and matching jewellery. And on this special occasion, I wish her a very Happy Birthday.

Fluctuations of the market in the last few years

Posted on December 2, 2022January 15, 2025 by Aurélia Turrall

As with every market, jewellery prices will inevitably fluctuate, though I can’t say I’ve seen the price of precious stones go down in the last few years. Seen as a commodity by some and as a treasure by others, it’s important to understand the cost of remaking a unique piece of jewellery. It will be dictated by global demand for diamond (or other precious stones), gold, silver, palladium and other alloy metals and stones.

High worldwide demand for palladium – due to its key importance in the development of renewable energy – inevitably increases the cost of gold – based items of jewellery. Because of its softness, gold used in jewellery is mixed with alloys. Alloys are other metals, such as zinc, copper, nickel, iron, cadmium, aluminium, silver, platinum and palladium. This mix then alters its appearance, hardness and melting point. Palladium is a chosen favourite as an alloy metal. At today’s value, the scrap value for palladium is £41/gram compared to £21.50/gram for platinum, which then impacts gold jewellery pieces.

As an example, this 9ct gold gate bracelet with heart locket was estimated £70-£100 by Bonhams in 2005. Today’s estimate would most likely be £200-£300.

Designer pieces with diamonds are affected in a similar manner.

This diamond and gold bracelet by Kutchinsky (above) sold at Bonhams for £1,553 (including premium) in 2005.

A similar item by the same designer (below) sold for £2,550 (including premium) in 2019.

For insurance purpose, the above bracelet would receive a value of £8,000 as at 2022.

Coloured stones have also seen an increase in price.

This emerald and diamond cluster ring is set with an emerald weighing approximately 5.20 carats and approximately 1.15 carats of diamonds. It was previously valued at £42,000 in 2011 for insurance purpose. Eleven years on, it is now valued at £65,000.

One could try to apply generic inflation percentages as a tool to update valuations, however this is incorrect and will often lead to your jewellery being under or overvalued. In the case of the above ring, a formula trying to reflect inflation would be detrimental to the value of the ring.

Valuing jewellery should always be case by case, as some signed vintage pieces will increase over the years, but not at the same rate as precious gemstones for example. The market for an Art Déco Cartier wristwatch (as below), though rare, has a smaller market of potential buyers and sellers. Comparatively to coloured stones, the value for this wristwatch will never exceed a certain plateau. This watch currently retails for £35,000.

A similar wristwatch by Cartier (below) sold at Bonhams in 2017 for £16,250 (including premium) and would have most likely received an insurance value of £23,000.

Diamonds on the other hand continue to escalate at a steady pace.

These diamonds earstuds (above) are 4.01 carats and 4.04 carats respectively. They were valued for insurance purposes at £300,000 in 2012 and are now valued at £360,000.

The same applies to contemporary signed pieces such as the Alhambra collection by Van Cleef & Arpels.

The mother-of-pearl Alhambra necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels was sold for £9,950 less than ten years ago and now retails for £15,800. A steady increase reflecting world demand for durable contemporary and elegant jewellery by a reputable designer.

The jewellery market is not exempt from worldwide affairs and economic changes, but it will always have an added unquantifiable value: emotional value. Jewellery can be seen as an investment, but it still predominantly remains a purchase of pleasure and luxury, whichever gem or metal one chooses and whatever happens in the world.

Watches Update

Posted on May 9, 2022January 16, 2025 by Doerr Dallas Valuations

Well, if we thought that 2020 couldn’t be surpassed in the watch world – we could not have been further from the truth!
We must start (we really do) with what was without doubt the biggest drop of 2021 – the Tiffany/Patek Phillipe 5711 – 1A/018

We are all very aware that one of the most desirable watches in the Patek Phillipe arsenal is due to be retired this year and as such the last 18 months have been spent by watch aficionados talking about how the standard Patek Phillipe 5711 has risen to the ranks of a £175,000 wristwatch when compared to a few years ago – it really is astonishing.

So, when the powers that be decided a send-off to conquer all others was required – they called in the big guns, and that robin egg blue dial appeared from nowhere. 170 will be produced and available exclusively from Tiffany boutiques and one can only imagine how these may perform on the secondary market – in a recent charity auction, one of the 170 sold for a jaw dropping $6.5 million, which is simply staggering for a watch that retails at a few bucks over $52,000.

Now some people amongst you will be aware that Tiffany has recently been acquired by LVMH and this moment has clearly been defined by the 5711 – 1A/018, it even has a little nod to the recent acquisition on the engraving of the caseback – a little brash? Maybe, but I am fairly sure that most watch people won’t notice the difference and hope that the work between the two companies will continue as it has done for the last 170 years.

As far as the rest of 2021 happened – it was pretty much a continuation of 2020, with rises across the board of Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet, and of course… Rolex sports models.

At the start of 2021, a 116610LN could be acquired on the secondary market for just short of £10,000 now, it’s closer to £16,000. Considering back in the pre covid days of 2018, on a good day you could get one for closer to £6000 – it hasn’t been a bad investment and if you bought the green bezel model – well that’s a completely different story!

Other highlights of 2021 have included the Bremont ENG300 – Whilst the English brothers may have had to fight off some arguments about the origin of parts of their watches, this new model has what appears to be a well-researched in house movement, that really is a game changer for the UK watch industry.

The Cartier Solarbeat, is certainly a watch for the risk taker – a person that wants a classical design with one of the most forward-thinking developments of the year – a solar powered Cartier, its doesn’t sound right saying it, but could you tell the difference? At a really good price point as well, one would have to be brave to bet against it being a huge success.

Finally, what has to be my watch of the year is the Tissot PRX, starting at under £300 (yes, three hundred pounds) it is an amazing retro design with hints of the big boys, but with a price tag that makes it far more accessible to enthusiasts on a lower budget as well.

What will 2022 bring? It’s difficult to say but with watch shows being planned for throughout the year, and design teams back at their desks I am sure that there will be a few surprises ahead!

Patek and Cartier Ladies’ Watches

Posted on June 27, 2020August 16, 2024 by James Lowe

In general, and in contrast to gentlemen’s watches, the price of a ladies’ watch tends to reflect the value in the precious metal, the decorative elements such as diamonds plus the manufacturing costs rather than the complexity of the movement. Today’s price per ounce for gold bullion is $1500, in 2002 (when Gordon Brown was selling off some of the UK gold reserves) the price was around $350, so there’s a four-fold increase in material cost to consider. Another huge factor, especially in ladies’ luxury watches, is of course the big brand name premium.

Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe produce only around 62,000 watches per year and according to Patek company policy, only 10% are made in steel. This is because the company considers itself a luxury product maker rather than a sports’ product maker like Rolex. Of the 6,500 or so steel watches produced, the majority are from the ladies’ Twenty4 range. This results in the gents’ steel watches like the Nautilus models being in very short supply, hence the huge price premiums for this model on the secondary market. The Twenty4 range was introduced around 2000 and has proved very popular but always with a standard quartz movement. However, last year a circular cased automatic model was introduced. The two Patek examples here are the cheapest and most expensive in the range.

Ladies’ Twenty4 steel bracelet watch with diamonds reference 4910/10A.
2002 £3,950
2008 £5,920
2019 £9,550

Ladies’ Twenty4 18 carat gold bracelet watch with diamonds reference 4910/11R
2002 £9,450
2008 £20,850
2019 £32,560

Cartier

Cartier introduced the Panthere range of watches in 1983 to compliment the Panthere jewellery range, and it proved to be a very successful model which was discontinued about 10 years ago but relaunched in 2017. It has remained virtually unchanged (apart from its retail price!!) – and although some of the larger models have automatic movements the smaller model which we illustrate here has retained its standard quartz movement.

Ladies’ Panthere 18 carat yellow gold bracelet watch, mini size, reference W25034B9
2002 £5,900
2008 £9,750
2019 £17,800

Ladies’ Tank Francaise steel bracelet watch, mini size, reference W51008Q3
2002 £1,550
2008 £1,920
2019 £2,890
All the major brands have an understandable policy of refreshing or slightly altering the models in their watch ranges on a regular basis, which does at least give them a chance to nudge the retail prices up regularly. This result in a wide gap between a current retail price and the secondhand/auction value of a five or so year old example. It is therefore very important for both the insured and the insurer to establish whether the insurance cover is on a ‘new for old’ or a ‘second hand replacement value’.