Baignoire, 18k Yellow Gold

How to tell it apart

What separates a Ref. 1954 from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is a Cartier Baignoire Ref. 1954 worth?

Public auction and dealer results for Ref. 1954 from November 2023 to November 2026 come to $6,750 to $10,000, with a median of $7,600 across 4 sales of this exact reference. The most recent was $8,100 at Christie's Hong Kong in April 2026. Condition, service history, and the original box and papers move an individual watch within that range.

What is the Baignoire Ref. 1954?

The quartz yellow gold Baignoire of the 1990s and 2000s: an 18k gold oval of about 23 × 31 mm, a silvered dial with painted black Roman numerals and the secret Cartier signature at 10 o'clock, blued steel sword hands and a cabochon crown, on a leather strap with a gold buckle or, on diamond-set examples, a gold bracelet. Sotheby's and Monaco Legend both catalog the movement as the Cartier Cal. 057.

How is the Ref. 1954 different from the Ref. 7672?

Era and movement. The 1954 is a quartz watch of the 1990s and 2000s with the secret signature at 10 o'clock. The 7672, a number only Sotheby's prints, is an oval of about 1960 on a mechanical movement signed Jaeger-LeCoultre, which Sotheby's later called a Cartier London piece. The cases are the same size, about 23 × 31 mm, so the movement and the marks in the case back settle it.

Were diamond-set versions made?

Yes. Sotheby's has cataloged Ref. 1954 examples with a diamond-set bezel and crown on an integrated 18k yellow gold Cartier bracelet, dated about 1998 and about 2002. A white gold Ref. 1954 is not confirmed in the catalogs consulted.

Where is the reference number on a Ref. 1954?

On the case back, stamped beside a separate serial number: Sotheby's records one example as case 1954 CC53083. Other catalogs give serials such as 650514CD and 455979CD, so the serial does not begin with the reference.

What should I check before buying a Ref. 1954?

Sight along the case for dents, flat spots and heavy polishing. Check that the Roman numerals are evenly printed and the secret signature sits at 10 o'clock, that the cabochon crown is intact, and that the case back carries 1954 beside the serial. The movement should be the quartz Cartier Cal. 057, and a gold buckle or bracelet should be signed Cartier.