01DIAL
The Secret Signature
Introduced 1977
A microscopic 'CARTIER' hidden within the Roman numerals, present on every genuine post-1977 dial.
Cartier
Cougar
The round-cased member of Cartier's Panthère collection, launched in 1989: a quartz watch with a date at 3 o'clock and an integrated link bracelet, in a 33 mm and a 26 mm size.
History
The Panthère's Round Sibling
Loupe This writes that the Cougar variant of the Panthère collection was launched in 1989, with a round case. Amsterdam Vintage Watches describes it as the Panthère's square shape reimagined as a round watch, and catalogs sometimes call it the Panthère Cougar.
The references documented here come in two sizes: 33 mm, which Bachmann & Scher lists as the man's size, and 26 mm for ladies. Catalog measurements run a millimeter or two either way, so the number on the case back is the surer guide.
Production and Materials
Archiva documents seven references. The Ref. 187904 is the 33 mm two-tone model, a stainless steel case with an 18k yellow gold bezel on a steel and gold bracelet. The Ref. 887904 is the same size in 18k yellow gold, case and bracelet, the Ref. 987904 the same size in stainless steel, the Ref. 887906 is the 26 mm ladies' model in 18k yellow gold, and the Ref. 887907 is the same 26 mm gold model set with diamonds, on the crown, the bezel or the bezel and lugs. The Ref. 119000R is the 26 mm ladies' model in stainless steel with an 18k yellow gold bezel, dated to about 1990, and the Ref. 11621 the chronograph in 18k yellow gold, 32 to 33 mm, which Sotheby's dates to about 1997 and catalogs as a limited edition. Dated examples of the gold and two-tone references run from 1990 to about 1995, and catalogs date the steel 987904 and the diamond-set 887907 to the 1990s.
All seven are quartz. Auction catalogs give the caliber of the time-and-date models as 87, 687, 690, 87.06 or 8706, and of the chronograph 11621 as the Cal. 212P. Other versions appear under their own numbers: the diamond-set 33 mm gold Reference 887905 and, among the ladies' models, a two-tone 187906, the same size and metals as the 119000R. Loupe This has also offered an all-steel 33 mm Cougar as W5002F5, a number no catalog we opened pairs with the 987904.
Relationship to the Panthère
Catalogs often fold the Cougar into the Panthère line: Gorringe's catalogs an 887906 as the Panthère Cougar, and Colasanti calls the bracelet of its 887904 a Panthère link bracelet. The difference is the case, round where the Panthère's is square.
Loupe This writes that the Panthère collection was discontinued in 2004 and revived in 2017. No source we opened says when the Cougar itself left production.
The Cougar Today
Examples differ in ways a listing should state. Catalogers describe the dial as white, off-white, cream, ivory, silvered or champagne, and Gorringe's cataloged an 887906 with a blue enamel dial and diamond indicators. Some examples have been sold on leather straps rather than the Cartier bracelet, and catalogs measure the same reference a millimeter or two apart. Each reference page sets out what the catalogs record for that number.
Quintessential Reference
Ref. 887904 · c. 1990s
- Reference
- 887904
- 18k yellow gold, quartz, mid-size
- Year
- c. 1990s
- Lyon & Turnbull catalogs one example circa 1990, Antiquorum one circa 1990s and Sotheby's an 887904C circa 1995
- Movement
- Quartz
- Cartier quartz movement
- Case
- 33 mm, 18k Yellow Gold
- Dial
- White/off-white
- Black painted Roman numerals, applied railroad minute track, date at 3 o'clock
- Hands
- Blued steel
- Sword-shaped
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Scratch-resistant sapphire
- Strap
- 18k yellow gold bracelet
- Brushed 18k gold five-link integrated bracelet with hidden fold-over clasp
The Ref. 887904 is the 33 mm Cougar in 18k yellow gold, case and bracelet: a quartz movement signed Cartier, a white or off-white dial with black Roman numerals and a date at 3 o'clock, blued steel hands, a crown set with a sapphire cabochon and a gold link bracelet with a double folding clasp. Auction houses date examples from about 1990 to the mid 1990s.
Other Known References
8 documented references across 1 era
Modern Manufacture1993–20018 refs
| Reference | |
|---|---|
| Ref. 1162118k Yellow Gold · Quartz | |
| Ref. 119000RStainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel · Quartz | |
| Ref. 187904Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel · Quartz | |
| Ref. 187906Stainless steel and yellow gold · Quartz | |
 | Ref. 88790418k Yellow Gold · Quartz |
 | Ref. 88790618k Yellow Gold · Quartz |
| Ref. 88790718k Yellow Gold, diamond-set · Quartz | |
| Ref. 987904Stainless steel · Quartz |
What is a Cartier Cougar 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.
Very good
Needs workFairVery goodExcellentExceptional
The typical public example: light wear, original-looking dial, runs well. This is the baseline.
Estimated market value
$1,600
Likely range $1,450 to $1,750
Median of 3 sales of Ref. 187906, Nov 2023 to Nov 2026.
Only 3 sales, so treat it as a rough guide.
Median $1,600
Condition: Very good ×1.00
What a dealer would likely pay$1,200 to $1,350Dealers buying to resell usually pay 75 to 85% of market value.
Market value is what watches like this sell for publicly, fees included. A dealer buying to resell pays less, because they carry the cost and risk of the resale.
From November 2023 to August 2026, 3 counted sales of Ref. 187906 ran from $1,200 to $3,400, with a middle price of $1,600. The most recent was $3,400 at Hampton Estate Auction in August 2026.
See all 5 sales of Ref. 187906: 3 counted, 2 not
| Date | Ref. | Where | Details | Counts as | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 187906 | Hampton Estate Auction (via EveryWatch)Auction | Ladies 26 mm, cream dial. | This reference | $3,383 |
| Apr 2026 | 187906 | Delon-Hoebanx (via EveryWatch)Auction | Ladies 26 mm, cream dial. | This reference | $1,613 |
| Nov 2023 | 187906 | Bonhams LondonAuction | Weekly: Watches, online, 27 Oct to 7 Nov 2023, lot 15. 26 mm steel and gold, Cal. 87 quartz, silvered dial, case No. 007412, brick-link bracelet. Sold for £960 inc. premium (house's words); converted at the archive's Nov 2023 rate, 1.245. Result read by Kyle from the house's lot page, 2026-11-11. | This reference | £960≈ $1,200 |
| Sep 2023 | 187906 | Piguet Hôtel des VentesAuction | Vente de Septembre 2023, lot 4407, 21 Sep 2023. 26 mm, steel and gold (case n°001749), quartz cal. 87, matt silvered dial, cataloged 1990s/2000s. Hammer price: the page says hors frais (premium not included). | Not countedolder than the three-year window | CHF 1,000≈ $1,100 |
| Jun 2023 | 187906 | WrightAuction | Lot 416; sale (summer-jewels-watches) and month from the lot URL, as the page prints no sale name or date. 26 mm, stainless steel and yellow gold, quartz, cream dial, steel and gold brick-link bracelet; sold with box. Premium not stated. | Not countedolder than the three-year window | USD 1,386 |
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; Dorotheum figures include its premium and VAT. EveryWatch does not say whether its figures include the premium. Rows via EveryWatch, Collector Square or lot-art come from those indexes and should be confirmed at the auction house. 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
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 Cartier Cougar, drawn from the reference records below.
What is a Cartier Cougar worth?
- Public auction and dealer results from November 2023 to November 2026 put the 33 mm steel and gold quartz (Ref. 187904) at $1,800 to $2,600, median $2,200 across 2 sales; the 33 mm 18k gold quartz (Ref. 887904) at $3,000 to $5,650, median $4,300 across 2 sales; the 26 mm ladies steel and gold quartz (Ref. 187906) at $1,400 to $2,500, median $1,600 across 3 sales; the 26 mm ladies 18k gold quartz (Ref. 887906) at $4,650 to $6,350, median $5,500 across 2 sales; the 33 mm steel quartz (Ref. 987904) at $1,550 to $1,850, median $1,600 across 3 sales; and the 26 mm ladies 18k gold diamond-set quartz (Ref. 887907) at $6,150 to $10,450, median $7,600 across 3 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 Cougar?
- 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 26 mm ladies steel and gold quartz Cougar at the recent median of $1,600, that suggests bids of roughly $1,200 to $1,350. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.
What is the Cartier Cougar?
- The round-cased member of Cartier's Panthère collection. Loupe This writes that the Cougar variant of the Panthère collection was launched in 1989, with a round case. The references documented here are quartz watches with a date at 3 o'clock, a crown set with a cabochon and an integrated link bracelet, in a 33 mm size and a 26 mm ladies' size. Catalogs sometimes call it the Panthère Cougar.
How do I tell which Cougar reference I have?
- Read the number on the case back. The Ref. 187904 is the 33 mm two-tone model, a stainless steel case with an 18k yellow gold bezel; the Ref. 887904 is the 33 mm model in 18k yellow gold, case and bracelet; the Ref. 987904 is the 33 mm size in stainless steel; the Ref. 887906 is the 26 mm ladies' model in 18k yellow gold; the Ref. 887907 is the 26 mm ladies' model in 18k yellow gold set with diamonds; the Ref. 119000R is the 26 mm ladies' model in stainless steel with an 18k yellow gold bezel; the Ref. 11621, also printed 1162 1, is the 32 to 33 mm chronograph in 18k yellow gold. All seven are quartz. Catalogs measure the same reference a millimeter or two apart, so the number is the surer guide.
Is the Cougar quartz or automatic?
- Quartz, in every example we found. Auction catalogs give the caliber as 87, 687 or 8706; Bonhams, for one, names the 7-jewel Cal. 8706 in a two-tone 187904. The gold chronograph Ref. 11621 runs on the Cartier Cal. 212P quartz chronograph movement, which Fellows and Millon name. Ask for a photograph of the movement to read its markings.
When was the Cougar made?
- Loupe This dates the launch to 1989. Dated examples of the 187904, 887904 and 887906 run from 1990 to about 1995, catalogs date the steel 987904 to the 1990s, Battin Enchères dates a ladies' steel and gold 119000R to about 1990, Sotheby's dates a gold chronograph 11621 to about 1997, and Amsterdam Vintage Watches has offered a diamond-set 33 mm gold Cougar from 1999. No source we opened dates the end of production; Loupe This writes that the Panthère collection was discontinued in 2004.
Are there Cougars besides these seven references?
- Yes. The diamond-set 33 mm gold Cougar is cataloged as Reference 887905, and Loupe This has offered an all-steel 33 mm Cougar on a quartz cal. 87 as W5002F5, a number no catalog we opened pairs with the steel Ref. 987904. Among 26 mm models, catalogs also record a two-tone Ref. 187906, the same size and metals as the 119000R; no source we opened ties the two numbers. Read the case back rather than relying on a listing's description.
What should I check before buying a Cougar?
- Read the case back: the reference is followed by the serial, as in 887904 002980 on an example Hindman sold. Check the crown's cabochon, the hidden Cartier signature in the VII on the 33 mm models and, on the two-tone 187904, all eight bezel rivets. Look for stretch in the bracelet and ask whether the Cartier bracelet comes with the watch, since some examples have been sold on leather straps.
Next Steps
INHERITOR
I inherited this watch
Read the reference on the case back and note whether the watch is two-tone or gold, 33 mm or 26 mm. The number tells you which Cougar you have.
START HERE →BUYERI'm buying this watch
Check the number on the case back, the crown's cabochon, the bezel and the bracelet. Know what to look for before you buy.
CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY →SELLERI'm selling this watch
Note the reference, the metal and whether the Cartier bracelet, box and papers come with the watch. See what comparable examples have sold for.
PRICE MY WATCH →
