How much will a dealer pay for a Cloche de Cartier?

Dealers buying to resell usually bid about 75 to 85% of public market value, because they carry the cost and risk of the resale. For a ref. 8876 18k yellow gold edition of 200 Cloche de Cartier at the recent median of $38,200, that suggests bids of roughly $28,650 to $32,500. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.

Where is the 12 on a Cloche de Cartier?

On the original design, Phillips writes, the Roman numerals are turned 90 degrees clockwise from their usual position, so the 12 sits next to the crown, where 3 o'clock usually is. The catalogs consulted for the 1990s Ref. 8876 describe black Arabic numerals without saying where the 12 sits, so compare a dial with documented examples.

How do I tell which Cloche reference I have?

By the metal, the numbering and the case back. The 8876 is 25 × 33 mm in 18k yellow gold, numbered out of 200, with a silver guilloché dial and black Arabic numerals. Cartier also made platinum Cloches numbered 1 of 1 for a 1996 sale, some cataloged as 8876. Later Cloches fall outside this archive: Antiquorum catalogs a Collection Privée Ref. 2841 in yellow gold, numbered out of 100 and recorded as sold in 2007, and the Cartier Privé Cloches of the 2020s include a yellow gold Ref. WGCC0002.

Is the Cloche de Cartier mechanical?

Not always. The 1990s Ref. 8876 is hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 9P2 with 18 jewels, but Phillips writes that the Cloche was revived in 1984 in the Louis Cartier collection with a quartz movement.

How rare is the Cloche de Cartier?

No production totals appear in the sources consulted. Phillips writes that between 1921 and 1970 Cartier made several versions of the Cloche, though it remained a relatively low-volume model. The 1990s Ref. 8876 was a numbered edition of 200, and the platinum pieces of 1996 are each numbered 1 of 1.

What should I check before buying a Cloche?

The edition number on the case back, out of 200 on an 8876; a 25 × 33 mm case whose contours polishing has not softened; a silver guilloché dial with black Arabic numerals and crisp printing; a hand-wound Cal. 9P2, with dial, case and movement signed; and a reference on the case back that matches the seller's, since one listing gives the edition as ref. 8152.

Cartier

Cloche de Cartier

The bell-shaped Cartier: a watch-brooch in 1920, a wristwatch from 1921, and a numbered gold edition of 200 in the 1990s.

What's it worth?View references Collector's Corner

History

The Bell That Became a Watch

Phillips writes that the first documented bell-shaped Cartier was a watch-brooch of 1920, followed in 1921 by a platinum and diamond wristwatch and in 1922 by a Cloche wristwatch in yellow gold. Cloche is French for bell.

On the original design, Phillips adds, the Roman numerals are turned 90 degrees clockwise, so that the 12 sits next to the crown, where 3 o'clock usually is.

Revivals

Phillips writes that Cartier made several versions of the Cloche between 1921 and 1970, though it remained a relatively low-volume model, and revived it in 1984 in the Louis Cartier collection with a quartz movement.

The 1990s Edition

The Ref. 8876 is a numbered edition of 200: a 25 × 33 mm Cloche in 18k yellow gold, hand-wound on the Cal. 9P2, with a silver guilloché dial, black Arabic numerals and blued steel hands. Phillips dates the edition's return to 1995, while Christie's dated one numbered example to 1990, so its start is not settled. None of the sources consulted calls it Collection Privée Cartier Paris.

Cartier also made platinum Cloches numbered 1 of 1 for The Magical Art of Cartier, a 1996 sale in Geneva; some are cataloged as 8876 and one as 8872.

Later Cloches

Later Cloches fall outside this archive's vintage scope. Antiquorum catalogs a Collection Privée Ref. 2841 in yellow gold on the Cal. 9P2, numbered out of 100 and recorded as sold in September 2007, and the Cartier Privé Cloches of the 2020s include the yellow gold Ref. WGCC0002.

Quintessential Reference

Ref. 8876 · c. 1995

Photos by @kinsmen_ltd

Reference: 8876; 18k yellow gold, manual wind, limited edition of 200
Year: c. 1995; Phillips writes that the Cloche returned in 1995 in an edition of 200; Christie's dated one numbered example to 1990
Movement: Manual; Cartier Cal. 9P2, 18 jewels
Case: 25 × 33 mm, 18k Yellow Gold
Dial: Silver guilloché; Black Arabic numerals with an inner minute track
Hands: Blued steel
Crystal: Sapphire; Not stated by the houses that print the reference
Strap: Leather; Leather strap with 18k gold buckle

The Ref. 8876: a 25 × 33 mm Cloche in 18k yellow gold, hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 9P2 and numbered as one of a limited edition of 200, made c. 1995. Its silver guilloché dial carries black Arabic numerals inside a minute track under blued steel hands, and it comes on a leather strap with an 18k gold buckle.

Other Known References

1 documented reference across 1 era

Modern Manufacture1993–2001

1 ref

	Reference	Case Material	Movement	Case Size	Dial	Crystal
	Ref. 887618k Yellow Gold · Manual	18k Yellow Gold	Manual	25 × 33 mm	Silver guilloché	Sapphire

What is a Cloche de Cartier worth?

Choose your reference, set its condition, and see what it's likely to bring. Each estimate uses sales of that exact reference where there are enough of them.

Which reference is yours?Ref. 887618k yellow gold, manual wind, limited edition of 2002 sales

ConditionVery good

Needs workFairVery goodExcellentExceptional

The typical public example: light wear, original-looking dial, runs well. This is the baseline.

Box and edition certificate+12% on the estimateRecent Cartier service+5% on the estimate

Estimated market value

Two sales of Ref. 8876: $36,100 at Phillips New York, Dec 2025, and $40,300 at Christie's New York, Jun 2024. Too few to estimate from. One more sale was left out (platinum example; the 8876 edition of 200 is yellow gold).

What a dealer would likely payNot enough sales

See the 2 sales of Ref. 8876, plus 4 that don’t count

Date	Ref.	Where	Details	Counts as	Price
Dec 2025	8876	Phillips New YorkAuction	Lot 93, 8 Dec 2025. Gold, mechanical movement, black leather strap; catalogued as from the limited series of 200, no reference printed. Result includes premium.	This reference	USD 36,120
Jun 2024	8876	Christie's New York (via Collector Square)Auction	Sale 23069 lot 73, no. 063/200, c.1997	This reference	USD 40,320
Oct 2022	8876	Monaco Legend Auctions	Lot 13, 22 Oct 2022. 25 x 43 mm as catalogued, platinum, manual, cal. 9P2; No. 2/2, 1996. Result includes premium.	Not countedplatinum example; the 8876 edition of 200 is yellow gold	EUR 81,250≈ $79,850
Oct 2021	8876	Monaco Legend AuctionsAuction	No. 064/200, cal. 9P2, original box	Not countedolder than the five-year window	EUR 38,750≈ $45,000
Apr 2021	8876	Monaco Legend AuctionsAuction	No. 56/200, no box/papers; page shows '17 April' with no year	Not countedolder than the five-year window	EUR 28,750≈ $34,500
Apr 2021	8876	Christie's Dubai (via Collector Square)Auction	No. 040/200	Not countedolder than the five-year window	USD 27,500

Sales from November 2023 to November 2026, or from the last five years for a reference with fewer than three in that time. Only sales that name a reference count toward its estimate; sales of the rest of its version are shown for comparison and never folded in. Auction prices include the buyer's premium unless a row says hammer; dealer prices are the price at sale. Currency figures are converted near the sale date. Some figures are as reported by the auction house's own articles or the press and are rounded. Rows via Collector Square come from its public results index and should be confirmed at the auction house. Results that some houses show only to signed-in visitors are read from the house's own page with an Archiva account. The condition and option adjustments, the expected bid (75 to 85% of market value) and the auction range (62 to 72%) are working assumptions, to be replaced by Archiva's own bids as they come in. A sale far above or below the other sales of its reference is listed but not counted, so one unusual result can't pull the estimate. An estimate from public results, not an appraisal.

Collector's Corner

What every buyer, inheritor, and first-time collector should know.

Buying Guide

01DIAL

The Secret Signature

Introduced 1977

A microscopic 'CARTIER' hidden within the Roman numerals, present on every genuine post-1977 dial.

02CASE

Case Back Hallmarks

Varies by origin and era

A Cartier case carries the Cartier signature, a reference and serial number on later pieces, and small struck marks for the metal and the case maker. Which marks appear depends on where the case was made: an eagle's head on Paris gold, JC and a date letter on London cases, the Helvetia head on Swiss 18k before 1995. The hallmarks guide shows what each one means.

03MOVEMENT

Movement Sourcing

Varies by era and model

Cartier sourced movements from various Swiss manufacturers throughout history, including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Frédéric Piguet, ETA, and in-house production. Knowing the correct caliber for a specific reference is essential for identifying the watch and establishing provenance.

04CROWN

Crown Sapphire Cabochon

A Cartier hallmark since the early 20th century

The blue sapphire (or spinel on less precious models) cabochon crown is a Cartier signature. Original crowns show consistent color saturation and are set flush with the crown body. Replacements often show misalignment or incorrect stone dimensions that reveal themselves under magnification.

05BRACELET

Bracelet and Clasp Markings

Check the clasp first

Cartier bracelets carry their own reference markings and the deployment clasp should bear the Cartier name and logo. Aftermarket bracelets are extremely common on vintage pieces, so checking that the clasp is original and that reference numbers match is crucial to the overall picture.

06DIAL

Dial Aging and Patina

Patina tells the story

Vintage Cartier dials develop characteristic aging: cream dials warm to ivory, lacquer dials may develop fine crazing, and applied indices can show legible wear patterns. Understanding acceptable versus concerning dial aging is key to valuing a vintage piece accurately.

Questions collectors ask

Direct answers about the Cloche de Cartier, drawn from the reference records below.

What is a Cloche de Cartier worth?: Public auction and dealer results from November 2023 to November 2026 put the ref. 8876 18k yellow gold edition of 200 (Ref. 8876) at $37,150 to $39,250, median $38,200 across 2 sales. Condition, a recent Cartier service, and the original box and papers move an individual watch within or beyond these ranges, and the calculator on this page adjusts for each.
How much will a dealer pay for a Cloche de Cartier?: Dealers buying to resell usually bid about 75 to 85% of public market value, because they carry the cost and risk of the resale. For a ref. 8876 18k yellow gold edition of 200 Cloche de Cartier at the recent median of $38,200, that suggests bids of roughly $28,650 to $32,500. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.
Where is the 12 on a Cloche de Cartier?: On the original design, Phillips writes, the Roman numerals are turned 90 degrees clockwise from their usual position, so the 12 sits next to the crown, where 3 o'clock usually is. The catalogs consulted for the 1990s Ref. 8876 describe black Arabic numerals without saying where the 12 sits, so compare a dial with documented examples.
How do I tell which Cloche reference I have?: By the metal, the numbering and the case back. The 8876 is 25 × 33 mm in 18k yellow gold, numbered out of 200, with a silver guilloché dial and black Arabic numerals. Cartier also made platinum Cloches numbered 1 of 1 for a 1996 sale, some cataloged as 8876. Later Cloches fall outside this archive: Antiquorum catalogs a Collection Privée Ref. 2841 in yellow gold, numbered out of 100 and recorded as sold in 2007, and the Cartier Privé Cloches of the 2020s include a yellow gold Ref. WGCC0002.
Is the Cloche de Cartier mechanical?: Not always. The 1990s Ref. 8876 is hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 9P2 with 18 jewels, but Phillips writes that the Cloche was revived in 1984 in the Louis Cartier collection with a quartz movement.
How rare is the Cloche de Cartier?: No production totals appear in the sources consulted. Phillips writes that between 1921 and 1970 Cartier made several versions of the Cloche, though it remained a relatively low-volume model. The 1990s Ref. 8876 was a numbered edition of 200, and the platinum pieces of 1996 are each numbered 1 of 1.
What should I check before buying a Cloche?: The edition number on the case back, out of 200 on an 8876; a 25 × 33 mm case whose contours polishing has not softened; a silver guilloché dial with black Arabic numerals and crisp printing; a hand-wound Cal. 9P2, with dial, case and movement signed; and a reference on the case back that matches the seller's, since one listing gives the edition as ref. 8152.

Next Steps

INHERITOR