Cartier · Ceinture

Ceinture Jumbo, 18k Yellow Gold, Automatic

Ref. 17001c. 1970s–1980s

The Cartier Ceinture Ref. 17001 is the Ceinture Jumbo: a 31 × 31 mm 18k yellow gold automatic with cut corners and a white Paris dial with Roman numerals, made c. 1970s–1980s, the largest Ceinture with a Paris reference.

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Recent sales of Ref. 17001: $9,150 to $9,250, median $9,150 across 3 sales of this exact reference, Nov 2023 to Nov 2026. What's yours worth?

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Specifications

Reference
17001
31 mm Jumbo, 18k yellow gold, automatic
Year
c. 1970s–1980s
Antiquorum dates one example to about 1970 and Sotheby's others to about 1975 and about 1980; Bachmann & Scher dates examples to 1979 and to 1987, the latter sold with papers, and Finarte one to the 1980s
Movement
Automatic
Automatic. Sotheby's catalogs two examples on the Cartier cal. 076 with 25 jewels; Bachmann & Scher lists the cal. 2670, and Antiquorum gives 17 jewels
Case
31 × 31 mm, 18k Yellow Gold
Square with cut corners, often cataloged as octagonal
Dial
White
White dial signed Paris, with painted Roman numerals and a railroad minute track
Hands
Blued steel
Blued steel hands, per Antiquorum, Bachmann & Scher and Craft + Tailored
Crystal
Mineral glass
Mineral glass, per Bachmann & Scher; not stated in the auction catalogs consulted
Strap
Leather
On leather with an 18k gold Cartier deployant clasp, in yellow gold or, on some examples, pink gold

Visual Description

The Ref. 17001 is the Ceinture Jumbo. Finarte, Antiquorum, Bachmann & Scher and Craft + Tailored give the case as 31 × 31 mm, and Sotheby's measures examples at 30.5 × 31 to 31.5 mm. The case is 18k yellow gold, a square with its corners cut away, which several catalogs describe as octagonal. The dial is white and signed Paris, with painted Roman numerals and a railroad minute track, and the hands are blued steel. Examples come on leather straps with an 18k gold Cartier deployant clasp.

Reference Significance

The 17001 is the large automatic member of the Ceinture family. The two Paris Ceintures relaunched in 1973 are hand-wound: the 27 mm Ref. 78099 and the 25 mm Ref. 78100. The 17001 adds a size above both and a self-winding movement. Sotheby's catalogs it as the Ceinture Jumbo, and its case numbers begin with 17001, just as the smaller references carry 78099 and 78100 in theirs.

Historical Context

The first Ceinture dates to 1927, and Cartier Paris brought the model back in the Louis Cartier Collection of 1973. Dated 17001s span the following two decades: Antiquorum dates one to about 1970, Sotheby's dates others to about 1975 and about 1980, and Bachmann & Scher has sold examples dated 1979 and 1987, the second with its papers. Finarte dates one to the 1980s. Some dealers describe the Ceinture as a short-lived 1970s watch, which the later dated examples do not bear out.

What to Look For

Case: The cut corners and stepped edges show any polishing. Compare all four corners; they should be crisp and the same. Measure the case: about 31 mm is the Jumbo.

Case number: The case back should read 17001 followed by the serial. Some catalogs print only the serial, so read the full number.

Dial: Original dials are white and signed Paris, with Roman numerals.

Movement: The movement should be automatic and signed Cartier. Sotheby's catalogs the cal. 076 with 25 jewels, while other sources give the cal. 2670 or 17 jewels.

Clasp: Look for an 18k gold Cartier deployant clasp. Sotheby's and Antiquorum have both cataloged examples with a pink gold clasp on the yellow gold case.

Known Variants

Documented dial, case, and bracelet variations of Ref. 17001.

18k Yellow Gold, Yellow Gold Clasp

Yellow gold case with a white Paris dial, blued hands and an 18k yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp, as Sotheby's catalogs case 170'011'202 of about 1980 and Bachmann & Scher an example of 1979.

c. 1970s–1980sThe configuration seen most often

18k Yellow Gold, Pink Gold Clasp

The same yellow gold case on an 18k pink gold Cartier deployant clasp. Sotheby's catalogs case 170'011'305 of about 1975 this way, and Antiquorum an example of about 1970 numbered 170011050.

c. 1970–1975 (dated examples)Two examples documented

How to tell it apart

What separates a Ref. 17001 from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is a Cartier Ceinture Ref. 17001 worth?

Public auction and dealer results for Ref. 17001 from November 2023 to November 2026 come to $9,150 to $9,250, with a median of $9,150 across 3 sales of this exact reference. The most recent was $9,400 at Finarte in June 2025. Condition, service history, and the original box and papers move an individual watch within that range.

What is the Cartier Ceinture Ref. 17001?

The Ceinture Jumbo: the largest Paris Ceinture, with a 31 × 31 mm 18k yellow gold case whose corners are cut away, a white Paris dial with Roman numerals and blued hands, and an automatic movement. Sotheby's, Finarte, Bachmann & Scher and Craft + Tailored have all offered it by reference.

How is the 17001 different from the 78099 and 78100?

By size and movement. The 78099 measures about 27 × 27 mm and the 78100 about 25 × 25 mm, and both are hand-wound. The 17001 measures about 31 × 31 mm and is automatic. The case number tells them apart as well: it begins 17001 on the Jumbo, 78099 or 78100 on the smaller sizes.

What movement is in the 17001?

An automatic movement. Sotheby's catalogs two examples, cases 170'011'202 and 170'011'305, on the Cartier cal. 076 with 25 jewels. Bachmann & Scher lists the cal. 2670, and Antiquorum gives 17 jewels for an example numbered 170011050. The sources disagree on the caliber, so read the movement itself.

What should the case back of a 17001 read?

A case number that begins with 17001 and continues with the serial, such as 170'011'202 and 170'011'305 in Sotheby's catalogs or 170011050 in Antiquorum's. Finarte printed only the serial, 1586, beside the reference.

What should I check before buying a 17001?

Crisp, matching cut corners, since polishing rounds them; a case number that begins with 17001; a case close to 31 mm; a white dial signed Paris; an automatic movement signed Cartier; and an 18k gold Cartier deployant clasp, in yellow gold or pink gold.

Other Ceinture References

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18k Yellow Gold · c. 1970s–1990

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18k Yellow Gold · c. 1970s–1980s

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