Photo: Instagram/Sotheby's
Few vintage luxury watches have such a fascinating history behind them. From its purpose to its unique design, the Cartier Cheich is a collector’s item unlike any other.
The Cartier Challenge was supposed to make history for years to come, but it ended up being a one-time event due to the tragic death of Thierry Sabine, the Paris-Dakar Rally founder. Together with Alain Dominique Perrin of Cartier, he launched the Cartier Challenge in 1983, when the Rally was celebrating its fifth anniversary.
The winner of the only Cartier Challenge that was completed was Gaston Rahier, the Belgium-born driver who received the outstanding prize created especially for this event. The name and unique design of this masterpiece are inspired by the traditional cloth worn by the Tuareg people around their heads, called a “cheich.”
It was designed by the Cartier creative director Jacques Diltoer and Perrin. Its spectacular design is matched only by its exclusive status – only four of these watches were ever created, and it was kept away from the public for almost four decades.
Out of the other three, one is considered lost, and the other two are still in possession of Cartier. One of them is said to be a diamond-set version that was meant for a female winner of the Cartier Challenge, while the other one features Roman and rectangular (baton) indexes.
In any case, this Cartier Cheich is the only one of its kind that’s currently available, which makes it even more special. For connoisseurs, who have been eagerly expecting for it to become available for auction, “it has achieved near mythical status,” according to watch expert Benoit Colson.
Sotheby’s has unveiled the Cartier Cheich as one of the most coveted pieces at its Luxury Edit Sale, coming up this September in Paris. The luxury auction house expects this masterpiece to snatch at least $200,000, estimating that it could go as high as $400,000. After all, you can’t put a price on a piece of both rally and watch design history.
The winner of the only Cartier Challenge that was completed was Gaston Rahier, the Belgium-born driver who received the outstanding prize created especially for this event. The name and unique design of this masterpiece are inspired by the traditional cloth worn by the Tuareg people around their heads, called a “cheich.”
It was designed by the Cartier creative director Jacques Diltoer and Perrin. Its spectacular design is matched only by its exclusive status – only four of these watches were ever created, and it was kept away from the public for almost four decades.
Out of the other three, one is considered lost, and the other two are still in possession of Cartier. One of them is said to be a diamond-set version that was meant for a female winner of the Cartier Challenge, while the other one features Roman and rectangular (baton) indexes.
In any case, this Cartier Cheich is the only one of its kind that’s currently available, which makes it even more special. For connoisseurs, who have been eagerly expecting for it to become available for auction, “it has achieved near mythical status,” according to watch expert Benoit Colson.
Sotheby’s has unveiled the Cartier Cheich as one of the most coveted pieces at its Luxury Edit Sale, coming up this September in Paris. The luxury auction house expects this masterpiece to snatch at least $200,000, estimating that it could go as high as $400,000. After all, you can’t put a price on a piece of both rally and watch design history.
Google News