Cartier France 'Backwind' Dress Watch

No, it’s not a Tank. And yes, it deserves your attention! While Parisian jeweler to the stars Cartier may be best known in horological circles for its famed Tank watch, the French firm produced — and continues to produce — numerous other watch models that deserve equal billing for their unique and sumptuous designs. This particular example is something special: Dating to the 1940s and emanating from the maison's Paris workshop, it's a spectacularly beautiful yellow gold dress watch on a matching multi-link bracelet complete with its correct period box. Measuring 11mm with yellow gold brancards and an acrylic crystal, its rectangular shape is complemented by a silvered dial with black 'Roman' indices and a blued steel 'sword' handset. Powered by a hand-wound Calibre 101 movement from Jaeger-LeCoultre — then as now the world's smallest hand-wound mechanical watch movement — it's back-wound via a crown on the caseback. Signed "Cartier France" on the dial and accompanied by its period-correct box, this spectacular dress watch from the mid-20th century is the very picture of elegance. Gift it to someone who appreciates elegance and history — or better yet, gift it to yourself!