Auction Cartier’s La Pendule Magnétique Water Clock Breaks Records in Hong Kong

Friday, May 24, 2024, the 18th Hong Kong Watch Auction, held by Philips in cooperation with Bacs & Russo, witnessed fantastic numbers, after two Art Deco Cartier watches from a private collection were sold, achieving a total of $2.3 million. The lion's share of it was for Cartier's “La Pendule Magnétique”.

After a 25-minute bidding war with 75 bids, the one-of-a-kind La Bondelle Manetteque water clock was sold for US$1.92 million, equivalent to AED 7 million, exceeding its pre-sale estimate by more than seven times. Where it was 250,000 US dollars. equivalent to 918,000 UAE dirhams.

This piece of art is made of marble, silver, lapis lazuli, nephrite, coral, mother-of-pearl, fingernails, and jade. It is one of only four magnetic watches created by Cartier's famous watchmaker, Maurice Couet, and to date there is only one known copy in the Cartier collection.

The present water clock is the most luxurious and complex example, and the only one to contain the chimera. The watch was manufactured between 1927 and 1930. Cartier has emphasized its importance in its official book, The Cartier Collection of Franco Cologni and François Chaille Watches, which describes it as the most valuable floating magnetic table clock designed and manufactured in the 20th century. This piece is also highlighted in Hans Nadelhofer's classic book on Cartier as the "most accurate copy". 

The clock mechanism works on the same principle as the “fish pointing south” compass, which was invented by the Chinese in 1040 AD. The base is made of marble with touches of lapis lazuli and aventurine. The basin, a Chinese creation dating back to the 17th century, is made of jade and decorated with the chimera, a creature in Far Eastern mythology that symbolizes good luck, wealth and wisdom. In Chinese imagery, dragons and fish are often depicted together, symbolizing the qualities of strength and wisdom.

The auction continues today, and we eagerly await the results for other rare timepieces, particularly the pocket watches. Phillips has brought an exceptional collection of pocket watches to this auction, and we look forward to seeing the final outcomes.

For more information please visit Phillips official website.