Visual Description
The Ref. 30003 is a 38 mm Pasha in 18k yellow gold, 10.5 to 11 mm thick, with a cabochon sapphire-set protective cap over the crown and a sapphire crystal display back secured by eight screws, as Sotheby's describes it.
The dial carries painted radial Roman numerals, a center seconds hand and three subsidiary dials, for the day, the date and the month with leap year, with the moon phases in an aperture at the top. Catalogs describe silvered, cream and white dials; Antiquorum gives luminous blued steel lozenge hands.
Reference Significance
The 30003 is the quartz perpetual calendar in the 38 mm gold Pasha case. Its neighbors share the size and metal: the Ref. 0975 is an automatic perpetual calendar on the Cartier Cal. 039, the Ref. W30012 adds a minute repeater to an automatic perpetual calendar, and the Ref. 30009 is a quartz chronograph on the Cal. 053.
Historical Context
The examples found are dated from about 1988 into the 1990s: Christie's dates one to circa 1988, Sotheby's two to circa 1989 and circa 1990, Antiquorum and Aguttes one each to circa 1990, and Antiquorum two to the 1990s. No source found gives the year the reference was introduced or discontinued.
What to Look For
Check that the case back reads 30003. Some catalogs print a year stamp of 1987, 1988 or 1989 beside the number or the case number, and Aguttes sells one as Ref. 1987 with No. 0173 30003; it is the same watch.
Ask for a photograph of the movement, which Antiquorum and Sotheby's give as the quartz Cal. 616, and check that the calendar and moon phase advance together. Most examples are cataloged with an 18k yellow gold Cartier bracelet or deployant clasp.
