Cartier · Gondole

Gondole Jumbo, Horizontal

Ref. 97051c. 1972–1980s

The Cartier Gondole Ref. 97051 is the Gondole Jumbo Horizontale: a wide 38 × 35 mm 18k yellow or white gold stepped case with a white Paris dial, hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 97B, made c. 1972–1980s for the Louis Cartier Collection.

Have this watch?

Two recent sales of Ref. 97051 (Jumbo Horizontale 38 × 35 mm, 18k yellow gold, manual wind)

  • Jun 2026Monaco LegendExclusive Timepieces 41, lot 6. 18k yellow gold, case 10'040, cal. 97B; printed 'Reference 9705'. Result includes premium.$29,850
  • Dec 2025Antiquorum MonacoImportant Modern & Vintage Timepieces, lot 68, 12 Dec 2025. 18k yellow gold, case 970510262, Paris dial, service paper 2021.$27,650
  • Ref. 97051 (Jumbo Horizontale 38 × 35 mm, 18k white gold, manual wind): two sales, $103,750 at Antiquorum Hong Kong, May 2026, and $50,400 at Monaco Legend, Oct 2024.

Two sales are a rough guide. One more sale was left out (Special-order gold bracelet). See them in the calculator.

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Specifications

Reference
97051
Jumbo Horizontale, wide case, 18k gold, manual wind
Year
c. 1972–1980s
Monaco Legend dates the Louis Cartier Collection to 1972 and Craft + Tailored to 1973; Christie's catalogs one example circa 1970, Antiquorum dates one to 1975, and Monaco Legend dates a white gold example with box and warranty to 1988. No source says when production stopped
Movement
Manual-wind
Cartier Cal. 97B, 17 jewels
Case
38 × 35 mm, 18k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold
Wide cushion-shaped 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
Christie's describes blued steel feuille hands
Crystal
Not documented
The catalogs consulted do not give the crystal type
Strap
Leather
Leather strap with an 18k gold Cartier deployant clasp or buckle; gold bracelets on a few examples

Visual Description

The Ref. 97051 is the Gondole Jumbo turned on its side: a flat 18k gold case about 38 mm wide and 35 mm tall, cataloged at 38 × 35 mm by Antiquorum and by Monaco Legend. Christie's describes it as a large cushion-shaped case with a stepped bezel, a back held by four screws and a beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon.

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

Reference Significance

The 97051 is the horizontal Gondole Jumbo, the version Antiquorum and Monaco Legend call the Gondole Jumbo Horizontale. Its sibling is the upright Ref. 97050, and Monaco Legend singles out the 97051's horizontal orientation as unusual. Monaco Legend catalogs both Jumbo shapes with the nickname TV Screen.

White gold is the rare metal. Antiquorum writes that the white gold version is significantly scarcer than the yellow gold one, and Monaco Legend has sold a white gold 97051 on a white gold bamboo bracelet that it calls possibly unique.

Historical Context

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

Catalog dates spread widely. Christie's catalogs one example circa 1970, a little before the collection's launch; Antiquorum dates a yellow gold example with its Cartier guarantee card to 1975; and Monaco Legend dates the white gold example on the bamboo bracelet, sold with box and warranty, to 1988. Monaco Legend found the poinçon de maître of the case maker Guillod & Co. and French import marks for 18k gold in the back of one example.

What to Look For

Start with the case. The steps of the bezel should have crisp edges and the hallmarks should be sharp; polishing softens both and cannot be reversed. Turn the watch over: the case number should begin with 97051, as on the 970510262 sold by Antiquorum and the 970510163 cataloged by Christie's. Some catalogs record only the serial, such as the 10'040 on the watch Monaco Legend sold as reference 9705 and the 0373 on a white gold example sold by Antiquorum.

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. One dealer has sold a horizontal Jumbo with a dial signed Swiss, so a non-Paris dial calls for a close look rather than an immediate rejection. The clasp should be an 18k gold Cartier deployant or buckle in the case metal.

Known Variants

Documented dial, case, and bracelet variations of Ref. 97051.

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 on leather with a gold Cartier deployant or buckle. The configuration sold by Antiquorum, Monaco Legend and Amsterdam Vintage Watches.

c. 1972–1980sThe most often documented configuration

18k White Gold

The same wide case in 18k white gold, with a Paris dial. Antiquorum writes that the white gold version is significantly scarcer than the yellow gold one.

1970s to 1980sRare; three examples documented by Antiquorum and Monaco Legend

18k Gold Bracelet

A yellow gold Cartier bracelet with deployant buckle, which Monaco Legend calls special order, and a white gold bamboo bracelet on a 1988 white gold example that it calls possibly unique.

1970s to 1980sTwo examples documented

How to tell it apart

What separates a Ref. 97051 from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is a Cartier Gondole Ref. 97051 worth?

Archiva has found two public sales of Ref. 97051 (Jumbo Horizontale 38 × 35 mm, 18k yellow gold, manual wind) in the last three years: $29,850 at Monaco Legend in June 2026 and $27,650 at Antiquorum Monaco in December 2025. Two sales are a rough guide, not a market price. One more sale was left out (Special-order gold bracelet). Ref. 97051 (Jumbo Horizontale 38 × 35 mm, 18k white gold, manual wind): two sales, $103,750 at Antiquorum Hong Kong, May 2026, and $50,400 at Monaco Legend, Oct 2024.

What is the Cartier Gondole Ref. 97051?

The Gondole Jumbo Horizontale from the Louis Cartier Collection: a wide 18k gold case of about 38 × 35 mm with a stepped bezel, a white dial with black Roman numerals and a chemin de fer minute track signed Paris, blued steel hands, a sapphire cabochon crown and the hand-wound Cartier Cal. 97B with 17 jewels. Antiquorum and Monaco Legend catalog it under this name.

Is the 97051 the same watch as the 97050?

No. They share the Jumbo case design and the Cal. 97B, but the 97051 is wider than it is long, while the 97050 stands upright at about 34 × 39 mm and is cataloged as the Gondole Jumbo Verticale. Read the case number on the back, which begins with the reference. One dealer listing prints 97050 in its title and 97051 in its specifications for a horizontal Jumbo, so trust the case and the case number over a listing title.

My listing says Ref. 9705. Is that a 97051?

It may be. Monaco Legend sold a horizontal Jumbo, numbered 10'040, as reference 9705, but Bulang & Sons has sold an upright Jumbo under the same four digits. A wide case and a case number beginning 97051 make it this reference.

Is the 97051 the Louis Cartier TV watch?

Monaco Legend catalogs the Gondole Jumbo, upright and horizontal alike, with the nickname TV Screen. Gondole Jumbo Horizontale is the name Antiquorum and Monaco Legend give this reference.

What movement is in the 97051?

The hand-wound Cartier Cal. 97B with 17 jewels, recorded by Monaco Legend and Christie's; Antiquorum describes a 10''' hand-wound caliber with 17 jewels. A quartz or automatic movement is not original to this reference.

What should I check before buying a 97051?

Crisp steps on the bezel and sharp hallmarks; a case number that begins with 97051; a white dial signed Paris without signs of refinishing; a hand-wound Cal. 97B signed Cartier; and an 18k gold Cartier clasp or buckle in the case metal. A Cartier guarantee, box or an original bracelet adds to the watch's story.

Other Gondole References

Ref. 97050Photograph wanted
Ref. 97050

Gondole Jumbo, Vertical

18k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold · c. 1972–late 1970s

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