Cartier · Cartier Crash

Crash, Cartier London

Crash Londonc. 1967–1990

The Cartier Crash London is the 43 × 25 mm 18k yellow gold manual-wind Crash made by Cartier London c. 1967–1990 on the Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal. 841, with a white dial signed London and London hallmarks inside the case back.

Have this watch?

Recent sales of the Crash London: $1,347,500 to $2,014,400, median $2,000,000 across 3 sales of this exact reference, Nov 2023 to Nov 2026. What's yours worth?

Only sales identified as the Crash London count here.

Talk to us first

At this level the right sale depends on the specific watch, so we talk it through with you personally first. Free, no obligation.

Reference photography unavailable.

Want to sponsor this reference with your studio photography? Become a sponsor

Specifications

Reference
Crash London
Cartier London, yellow gold, manual-wind
Year
c. 1967–1990
Launched by Cartier London in 1967; dated examples carry London hallmarks for 1967 and 1970, and for the late 1980s up to 1990
Movement
Manual-wind
Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal. 841; catalogs give 17 or 18 jewels
Case
43 × 25 mm, 18k Yellow Gold
Dial
White
Black painted Roman numerals distorted with the case, signed London
Hands
Blued steel
Crystal
Not confirmed
No catalog opened names the crystal; the case back is solid, with London hallmarks inside
Strap
Leather
Asymmetric 18k gold Cartier deployant buckle, often stamped JC and the case number

Visual Description

The London Crash has an asymmetric, distorted case in 18k yellow gold, about 43 mm long. Its width depends on where it is measured: Phillips gives 24 or 25 mm and Christie's 22.3 mm. The white dial carries black painted Roman numerals that distort with the case and is signed London, and the hands are blued steel. The case back is solid, secured by screws, with London hallmarks and, on many examples, the JC maker's mark inside. The leather strap closes with an asymmetric 18k gold Cartier deployant buckle, often stamped with the watch's case number.

Reference Significance

This is the Crash in its original form, made by the London branch that launched the design in 1967. Auction catalogs credit it to Jean-Jacques Cartier, who ran Cartier London, working with the designer Rupert Emmerson, and Phillips describes it as a modified Maxi Baignoire Allongée. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal. 841 movement and the London signature set it apart from the Paris pieces that followed: the Paris 1991 edition of 400 measures 38 × 23 mm and runs on a Cartier caliber, and the Ref. 2463 of the early 2000s is rose gold.

Historical Context

The first-series cases were made by Wright & Davies from 1967, and Christie's says the first pieces were assembled with Cartier London's head watchmaker, Eric Denton. Dated first-series examples carry London hallmarks for 1967 and 1970.

Cartier London made the Crash again in the late 1980s. Catalogs date examples to about 1987, to 1988 by a Cartier certificate, to 1989 and to 1990, and Sotheby's names the maker of the late-1980s run as Arthur Withers. Datings can differ even for one watch: case 40237 was offered in 2012 as hallmarked 1989 and sold again in 2024 with a Cartier certificate dating it to 1988. Sotheby's catalogs case 39153A, hallmarked for 1987, as one of three London Crashes made that year as a special order, according to Cartier's Geneva archivist.

How many were made is not known. Sotheby's says the first series probably numbered fewer than a dozen, and Christie's puts the first run at about 20.

What to Look For

Read the inside of the case back for London hallmarks and the JC maker's mark, and check that the case number matches the number stamped on the deployant buckle. The movement should be the hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal. 841. Catalogs give it 17 or 18 jewels, and one Sotheby's catalog lists a cal. K840 for a 1970 example, so ask for movement photographs. The dial should be white and signed London.

Expect the case to measure about 43 mm long, with widths from 22.3 to 26 mm depending on where it is measured. A Cartier certificate or a documented auction history helps date a particular watch: the 1988 example had changed hands in 1989, 1998 and 2012 before it sold in 2024.

Known Variants

Documented dial, case, and bracelet variations of Crash London.

First series (from 1967)

Cases made for Cartier London by Wright & Davies from 1967, according to Sotheby's. Dated examples carry London hallmarks for 1967 and 1970 and four-digit case numbers (9526, 9'658).

c. 1967–1970Fewer than a dozen to about 20 (Sotheby's, Christie's)

Late-1980s London production

Made in London again in the late 1980s, by Arthur Withers according to Sotheby's, with London hallmarks for about 1987 to 1990 and five-digit case numbers (34716A to 80298).

c. 1987–1990Number not known

How to tell it apart

What separates the Crash London from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is a Cartier Crash London worth?

Public auction and dealer results for the Crash London from November 2023 to November 2026 come to $1,347,500 to $2,014,400, with a median of $2,000,000 across 3 sales of this exact reference. The most recent was $2,028,800 at Christie's Geneva in May 2026. Condition, service history, and the original box and papers move an individual watch within that range.

What is the London Cartier Crash?

The Crash as made by Cartier London, which launched the design in 1967: an asymmetric 18k yellow gold case about 43 mm long, a white dial with distorted black Roman numerals signed London, blued steel hands and a hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal. 841, on a leather strap with an asymmetric gold deployant buckle. Auction catalogs date examples to a first series of 1967 to 1970 and to a second London run of the late 1980s up to 1990.

How do I know a Crash was made in London?

Look for London hallmarks inside the case back, often with the JC maker's mark, a dial signed London, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Cal. 841 and a case about 43 mm long. The Paris 1991 edition is smaller at 38 × 23 mm, carries PARIS at 6 o'clock and a number out of 400 on the back, and runs on a Cartier caliber. The Ref. 2463 of the early 2000s is rose gold and engraved 2463.

How many London Crashes were made?

The exact number is not known. Sotheby's says fewer than a dozen are thought to have been made in the first series and that the size of the late-1980s run is not officially known, while Christie's says about 20 were made at first. Case numbers seen at auction run from 9526 on a 1970 example to 80298 on one hallmarked 1990.

What should I check before buying a London Crash?

London hallmarks and the JC mark inside the case back, and a case number that matches the number stamped on the deployant buckle. Ask for photographs of the movement, which should be the hand-wound Cal. 841, and of the London signature on the dial. Expect about 43 mm in length; catalogs give widths from 22.3 to 26 mm depending on where the case is measured.

Other Cartier Crash References

Crash, Rose Gold, Ref. 2463, Ref. 2463, front
Ref. 2463

Crash, Rose Gold, Ref. 2463

18k Rose Gold · c. 2001–2003

Crash, Paris 1991 Limited Edition, Crash Paris 1991, front
Crash Paris 1991

Crash, Paris 1991 Limited Edition

18k Yellow Gold · c. 1991

Back to Cartier Crash