How much will a dealer pay for a Gondole?

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 jumbo verticale 34 x 39 mm 18k yellow gold manual wind Gondole at the recent median of $21,800, that suggests bids of roughly $16,350 to $18,500. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.

What is the Cartier Gondole?

A Cartier wristwatch from the Louis Cartier Collection of the early 1970s. The large Gondole Jumbo has a flat, oversized 18k gold case with a stepped bezel, a white dial signed Paris with black Roman numerals, blued steel hands, a sapphire cabochon crown and the hand-wound Cartier Cal. 97B. It was made in an upright version and a wide, horizontal version.

Which reference is my Gondole Jumbo?

Read the case number on the back, which begins with the reference. The Ref. 97050 is the upright Jumbo, about 34 × 39 mm, which Monaco Legend calls the Gondole Jumbo Verticale. The Ref. 97051 is the wide Jumbo, about 38 × 35 mm, which Monaco Legend and Antiquorum call the Gondole Jumbo Horizontale. Both are 18k gold on the Cal. 97B.

Why do some listings say Ref. 9705?

9705 is the first four digits shared by both Jumbo references. Monaco Legend has sold a horizontal Jumbo as reference 9705, and Bulang & Sons an upright one. A listing that gives only 9705 does not tell you which watch it is, so check the case number and the shape.

Is the Gondole the same as the Louis Cartier TV or Square?

Monaco Legend catalogs the Gondole Jumbo with the nickname TV Screen, and Phillips compares its double-stepped case to a television screen of its era. The names describe the same large stepped case; Gondole is the name the auction houses use.

When was the Gondole introduced?

With the Louis Cartier Collection in the early 1970s. Monaco Legend dates the collection to 1972, the year Phillips gives for Cartier's move of its watch manufacture to Switzerland; Craft + Tailored dates it to 1973. Sotheby's and Christie's catalog individual examples as circa 1970, so catalog dates should be read loosely.

Was the Gondole Jumbo made in white gold?

Yes, in both shapes, but rarely. Antiquorum writes that the white gold version is significantly scarcer than the yellow gold one. Monaco Legend has sold white gold examples of both the upright and the horizontal Jumbo.

Cartier

Gondole

An oversized stepped gold case from the early 1970s Louis Cartier Collection, made upright or wide, hand-wound and signed Paris on the dial.

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

History

A Named Shape for the Louis Cartier Collection

The Gondole belongs to the Louis Cartier Collection, the group of named gold watches Cartier released in the early 1970s. Monaco Legend dates the collection to 1972, the year Phillips gives for the move of the maison's watch manufacture from France to Switzerland, while Craft + Tailored dates it to 1973 and writes that the Gondole arrived alongside the Cristallor, the Ellipse and the Vendôme. Like those siblings, it was made in 18k gold with a hand-wound movement and, on most examples, a dial signed Paris.

The Jumbo Case

The Gondole that collectors seek is the Jumbo. Its case is flat, wide and stepped: a bezel that drops toward the dial in tiers, a back held by four screws and a beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon. Christie's describes the wide version as cushion-shaped, Phillips compares the double-stepped case to a television screen of its era, and Monaco Legend catalogs it with the nickname TV Screen. Phillips calls it a very rare, oversized watch with immense presence on the wrist.

The dial is white with black Roman numerals, a chemin de fer minute track and blued steel hands, signed Paris at 6 o'clock. Phillips writes that the Paris signature marks watches sold through the Place Vendôme store. Inside is the hand-wound Cartier Cal. 97B with 17 jewels, recorded by Sotheby's, Phillips, Christie's, Antiquorum and Monaco Legend alike. Monaco Legend found the poinçon de maître of Guillod & Co. in the back of one example, identifying the case maker, along with French import marks for 18k gold.

Upright and Wide

Craft + Tailored writes that the Gondole came in vertical and horizontal case shapes, and the two Jumbo references follow that split. The Ref. 97050 is the upright Jumbo, about 34 × 39 mm, cataloged by Sotheby's, Phillips and Antiquorum under that number and by Monaco Legend as the Gondole Jumbo Verticale. The Ref. 97051 turns the case on its side, about 38 × 35 mm, and Monaco Legend and Antiquorum call it the Gondole Jumbo Horizontale. Monaco Legend calls the horizontal orientation unusual.

Both carry case numbers that begin with the reference. Some listings shorten both to 9705, so the case number and the shape are what tell them apart.

Gold and Bracelets

Most Gondole Jumbos are 18k yellow gold. White gold exists in both shapes, and Antiquorum writes that it is significantly scarcer than yellow gold. Most came on leather straps with an 18k gold Cartier deployant clasp or buckle; a few left Cartier on gold bracelets, including a yellow gold special-order bracelet and a white gold bamboo bracelet that Monaco Legend describes as possibly unique.

The Gondole Today

Craft + Tailored notes that the Gondole Jumbo's case is unusually large for its era and for Cartier, a house known for modest sizes through the 1970s. Because so much of its character lies in the stepped case, condition matters more than usual: crisp steps and hallmarks, an original Paris dial and a case number that begins with the reference tell most of the story of an example.

Quintessential Reference

Ref. 97050 · c. 1972–late 1970s

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Reference: 97050; Jumbo, upright case, 18k gold, manual wind
Year: c. 1972–late 1970s; Monaco Legend dates the Louis Cartier Collection to 1972 and Craft + Tailored to 1973; Sotheby's catalogs one example circa 1970 and Phillips one circa 1978, and Antiquorum and Monaco Legend date others to the 1970s. No source dates an example later or says when production stopped
Movement: Manual-wind; Cartier Cal. 97B, 17 jewels
Case: 34 × 39 mm, 18k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold
Dial: White; Black Roman numerals, chemin de fer minute track, signed Paris at 6 o'clock
Hands: Blued steel; Blued steel hands, as Phillips and Monaco Legend describe them
Crystal: Not documented; The catalogs consulted do not give the crystal type
Strap: Leather; Leather strap with a Cartier clasp; Sotheby's notes an associated gilt metal deployant on one example

The Ref. 97050 is the upright Gondole Jumbo: a 34 × 39 mm 18k gold case with a stepped bezel, a white Paris dial with black Roman numerals and a chemin de fer minute track, and the hand-wound Cartier Cal. 97B with 17 jewels. Sotheby's, Phillips, Antiquorum and Monaco Legend have all sold it under this number.

Other Known References

2 documented references across 1 era

Reunion & Democratization1964–1992

2 refs

	Reference	Case Material	Movement	Case Size	Dial	Crystal
	Ref. 9705018k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold · Manual-wind	18k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold	Manual-wind	34 × 39 mm	White	Not documented
	Ref. 9705118k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold · Manual-wind	18k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold	Manual-wind	38 × 35 mm	White	Not documented

What is a Cartier Gondole 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.

See the 2 sales of Ref. 97050 (Jumbo Verticale 34 × 39 mm, 18k yellow gold, manual wind)

Date	Ref.	Where	Details	Counts as	Price
May 2026	97050	Antiquorum GenevaAuction	Lot 96, 9 May 2026. 18k yellow gold, case 0063, cal. 97B.	This reference	CHF 16,250≈ $20,800
Nov 2023	97050	Phillips Hong KongAuction	The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVII, lot 887, 24-25 Nov 2023. 18k yellow gold, case 970500659, cal. 97B. Sold For, which at Phillips includes the buyer's premium.	This reference	HK$177,800≈ $22,750

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. Euro, Swiss franc and Hong Kong dollar figures are converted at a rate near each sale date. Results are from the auction houses' own lot pages. Monaco Legend figures include the buyer's premium; Antiquorum and Phillips show a sold figure without stating it. Sotheby's and Cambi show results only to signed-in users, so their sales are not included. 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 Cartier Gondole, drawn from the reference records below.

What is a Cartier Gondole worth?: Public auction and dealer results from November 2023 to November 2026 put the jumbo verticale 34 x 39 mm 18k yellow gold manual wind (Ref. 97050) at $21,300 to $22,250, median $21,800 across 2 sales; the jumbo verticale 34 x 39 mm 18k white gold manual wind (Ref. 97050) at $50,900 to $65,500, median $58,200 across 2 sales; the jumbo horizontale 38 x 35 mm 18k yellow gold manual wind (Ref. 97051) at $28,200 to $29,300, median $28,750 across 2 sales; and the jumbo horizontale 38 x 35 mm 18k white gold manual wind (Ref. 97051) at $63,700 to $90,400, median $77,050 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 Gondole?: 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 jumbo verticale 34 x 39 mm 18k yellow gold manual wind Gondole at the recent median of $21,800, that suggests bids of roughly $16,350 to $18,500. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.
What is the Cartier Gondole?: A Cartier wristwatch from the Louis Cartier Collection of the early 1970s. The large Gondole Jumbo has a flat, oversized 18k gold case with a stepped bezel, a white dial signed Paris with black Roman numerals, blued steel hands, a sapphire cabochon crown and the hand-wound Cartier Cal. 97B. It was made in an upright version and a wide, horizontal version.
Which reference is my Gondole Jumbo?: Read the case number on the back, which begins with the reference. The Ref. 97050 is the upright Jumbo, about 34 × 39 mm, which Monaco Legend calls the Gondole Jumbo Verticale. The Ref. 97051 is the wide Jumbo, about 38 × 35 mm, which Monaco Legend and Antiquorum call the Gondole Jumbo Horizontale. Both are 18k gold on the Cal. 97B.
Why do some listings say Ref. 9705?: 9705 is the first four digits shared by both Jumbo references. Monaco Legend has sold a horizontal Jumbo as reference 9705, and Bulang & Sons an upright one. A listing that gives only 9705 does not tell you which watch it is, so check the case number and the shape.
Is the Gondole the same as the Louis Cartier TV or Square?: Monaco Legend catalogs the Gondole Jumbo with the nickname TV Screen, and Phillips compares its double-stepped case to a television screen of its era. The names describe the same large stepped case; Gondole is the name the auction houses use.
When was the Gondole introduced?: With the Louis Cartier Collection in the early 1970s. Monaco Legend dates the collection to 1972, the year Phillips gives for Cartier's move of its watch manufacture to Switzerland; Craft + Tailored dates it to 1973. Sotheby's and Christie's catalog individual examples as circa 1970, so catalog dates should be read loosely.
Was the Gondole Jumbo made in white gold?: Yes, in both shapes, but rarely. Antiquorum writes that the white gold version is significantly scarcer than the yellow gold one. Monaco Legend has sold white gold examples of both the upright and the horizontal Jumbo.

Next Steps

INHERITOR