Cartier Cheich Rally Watch Sells For Record $3.4 Million
A unique white gold Cartier Cheich wristwatch, one of only five known examples, has sold for a record $3.4 million at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction
A unique Cartier Cheich wristwatch sold for $3.4 million at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong. The price sets a new record for a Cartier watch sold at auction.
The white gold watch was produced as a one-off piece in 2010. It features a quartz movement and was commissioned specifically for Giorgio Seragnoli, a noted collector and co-author of the Cartier Bianco book. Sotheby's stated the final price, including fees, was HK$26,520,000 after a nine-minute bidding war involving online, telephone, and in-person participants.
The Paris-Dakar Legacy
The Cheich design originates from the Cartier Challenge, a trophy created for the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1983. The watch was inspired by the blue headscarves, or 'cheich', worn by the Saharan Tuareg people. Cartier made these watches exclusively for winners of the challenge and never offered them for public sale.
Only one competitor ever won the trophy. Belgian motocross champion Gaston Rahier secured consecutive motorcycle category wins in 1984 and 1985. The Cartier Challenge ended after rally founder Thierry Sabine died in a helicopter crash in 1986.
Rarity And Provenance
Of the original gold Cheich watches with mechanical movements made for the rally, only a handful are known to exist. Two prototypes reside in Cartier's heritage museum, while Rahier's winning trophy was sold at auction in 2022 for approximately $1.1 million. Sabine's personal watch is missing and presumed lost.
The record-breaking watch sold this week is distinct. It is a later, unique commission in white gold, measuring 38 millimeters in length and 27mm in width. It was presented on a brown leather strap with a special box and certificate marked No. 1 of 1.
A Strong Auction For Cartier
The sale was part of a strong showing for vintage Cartier at the Sotheby's Hong Kong event. Another rare model, a London Midi Pebble from circa 1973-1974, also achieved a record price. It sold for HK$3.8 million, or about $494,000, surpassing a previous Pebble auction record set in 2021.
| Model | Sale Price (with fees) | Previous Record (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Cartier Cheich (2010) | $3,413,124 | $2 million (Cartier Crash, May 2024) |
| Cartier London Midi Pebble (c. 1973-74) | $494,000 | $450,000 (Pebble, 2021) |
A Withdrawal And An Investigation
The auction was not without controversy. Sotheby's withdrew a different Cartier lot, a London Maxi Pebble, after discovering it shared a case serial number with a watch scheduled for sale by Monaco Legend Auctions in October. Both auction houses agreed to withdraw the watches for further research.
Monaco Legend watch specialist Andrea Parmegiani told Hodinkee the group plans to disassemble the watches for inspection and consult Cartier archives and vintage experts. "These two watches are in no rush to be sold," Parmegiani said, emphasizing the importance of verifying their authenticity given their rarity and significance to the Cartier market.
The investigation into the two Pebble watches with matching serial numbers continues.
