Cartier Retro Bracelet Watch in Yellow Gold Watch

An 18ct yellow gold fancy link bracelet watch by the House of Cartier from the Retro period. Composed of intricate, slim, oval, fancy brushed gold links that are beautifully articulated and shaped to the wrist. The small silver square watch face has elegant black index markers and features a manually wound mechanical movement. The name of Cartier instantly brings to mind the sparkle of diamonds, and the allure of the rich and famous. Since it was founded in Paris in 1847, the House has gone from strength to strength, being famously credited as “the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers” by King Edward the VII. The house was as its pinnacle when it was owned and run by the founding family, from 1847 to 1964. With platinum reserved for wartime use jewellery from the period embraced the warm tones of yellow and rose gold. Cartier has a rich history of producing the most stylish wristwatches with ladies' examples first being seen in the 1880s, and later cocktail examples perfectly combining an accurate, slim, manually wound watch movement with an eye-catching and modern, gleaming platinum diamond bracelet. During this time, with the jazz era in full swing, the watch face was kept small and subtle, as it was deemed unladylike for ladies of leisure to check the time. Elaborate diamond and gemstone set slim and wide bracelets became hugely popular during this time, as short-sleeved fashions left the arms exposed. This example perfectly embodies the Retro period with its eye-catching sculptural gold links. This style of wristwatch has recently been reinvented by the House with their hugely successful geometric Maillon de Cartier range.