Cartier · Gondole

Gondole Jumbo, Vertical

Ref. 97050c. 1972–late 1970s

The Cartier Gondole Ref. 97050 is the upright Gondole Jumbo: a 34 × 39 mm 18k yellow or white gold stepped case with a white Paris dial, hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 97B, made c. 1972–late 1970s for the Louis Cartier Collection.

Have this watch?

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

  • May 2026Antiquorum GenevaLot 96, 9 May 2026. 18k yellow gold, case 0063, cal. 97B.$20,800
  • Nov 2023Phillips Hong KongThe 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.$22,750
  • Ref. 97050 (Jumbo Verticale 34 × 39 mm, 18k white gold, manual wind): two sales, $72,800 at Monaco Legend, Apr 2026, and $43,550 at Monaco Legend, Oct 2024.

Two sales are a rough guide. See them in the calculator.

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
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
Upright rectangle with stepped bezel, back secured by four screws
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

Visual Description

The Ref. 97050 is the upright Gondole Jumbo, a flat 18k gold case about 34 mm wide and 39 mm long. Sotheby's and Antiquorum both catalog it at 34 × 39 mm. The bezel steps down toward the dial, the beaded crown carries a sapphire cabochon, and the back is held by four screws.

The dial is white with black Roman numerals and a chemin de fer minute track, signed Paris at 6 o'clock, with blued steel hands. Most examples are 18k yellow gold, a few 18k white gold, on leather straps with a Cartier clasp.

Reference Significance

The 97050 is the Gondole Jumbo in its upright form, the version Monaco Legend calls the Gondole Jumbo Verticale. Its sibling, the Ref. 97051, turns the same stepped case on its side, an orientation Monaco Legend calls unusual.

Phillips calls the upright Jumbo very rare and writes that it encapsulates the daring and unusual designs Cartier made in the 1970s and 1980s. White gold examples are scarcer still: Monaco Legend has sold two.

Historical Context

The Gondole was introduced with the Louis Cartier Collection, which Monaco Legend dates to 1972, the year Phillips gives for the move of Cartier's watch manufacture from France to Switzerland. Craft + Tailored dates the collection to 1973.

Catalog dates for the 97050 run from Sotheby's circa 1970, a little before the collection's launch, to Phillips's circa 1978; Antiquorum and Monaco Legend date their examples to the 1970s. No source opened dates a 97050 later than that. Phillips sold the same watch, case number 970500659, in Geneva in 2020 and again in Hong Kong in 2023.

What to Look For

Start with the case. The steps of the bezel should have crisp edges and the hallmarks should be sharp, because polishing softens both and cannot be reversed. Turn the watch over: the case number should begin with 97050, as on the 970500659 sold by Phillips and the 970500361 sold by Monaco Legend.

The movement should be the hand-wound Cal. 97B with 17 jewels, signed Cartier. On the dial, expect white with black Roman numerals and a chemin de fer track signed Paris; heavy or uneven printing suggests a refinished dial. Check the clasp too: Sotheby's corrected one lot to note that its clasp was an associated gilt metal deployant rather than gold.

Known Variants

Documented dial, case, and bracelet variations of Ref. 97050.

18k Yellow Gold, Paris Dial

White dial with black Roman numerals and a chemin de fer minute track, signed Paris, in an 18k yellow gold case. The configuration sold by Sotheby's, Phillips and Antiquorum.

c. 1972–late 1970sThe most often documented configuration

18k White Gold

The same upright case in 18k white gold. Monaco Legend has sold one cataloged as the Gondole Jumbo Verticale and another with case number 970500361, box and booklet.

1970sRare; two examples documented

How to tell it apart

What separates a Ref. 97050 from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is a Cartier Gondole Ref. 97050 worth?

Archiva has found two public sales of Ref. 97050 (Jumbo Verticale 34 × 39 mm, 18k yellow gold, manual wind) in the last three years: $20,800 at Antiquorum Geneva in May 2026 and $22,750 at Phillips Hong Kong in November 2023. Two sales are a rough guide, not a market price. Ref. 97050 (Jumbo Verticale 34 × 39 mm, 18k white gold, manual wind): two sales, $72,800 at Monaco Legend, Apr 2026, and $43,550 at Monaco Legend, Oct 2024.

What is the Cartier Gondole Ref. 97050?

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

How do I tell the 97050 from the Gondole Jumbo Ref. 97051?

By orientation and by the case number. The 97050 stands upright, about 34 mm wide and 39 mm long, and Monaco Legend calls it the Gondole Jumbo Verticale. The 97051 is wider than it is long, about 38 × 35 mm, and is cataloged as the Gondole Jumbo Horizontale. Both run on the Cal. 97B, and the case number on the back begins with the reference.

My listing says Ref. 9705. Is that a 97050?

Not necessarily. 9705 is shared by both Jumbo references: Bulang & Sons has sold an upright Jumbo as ref 9705, and Monaco Legend a horizontal one. If the case is upright and the case number begins 97050, it is this reference.

What movement is in the 97050?

The hand-wound Cartier Cal. 97B with 17 jewels, recorded by Sotheby's, Phillips, Antiquorum and Monaco Legend. A quartz or automatic movement is not original to this reference.

What should I check before buying a 97050?

Crisp steps on the bezel and sharp hallmarks; a case number that begins with 97050; a white dial signed Paris without signs of refinishing; a hand-wound Cal. 97B signed Cartier; and a clasp in the case metal, since Sotheby's has recorded one example with an associated gilt metal clasp.

Other Gondole References

Ref. 97051Photograph wanted
Ref. 97051

Gondole Jumbo, Horizontal

18k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold · c. 1972–1980s

Back to Gondole