THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: CARTIER
MODEL: 2498E
YEAR: c2005
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 34x43mm
CASE MATERIAL: 18K ROSE GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND

The Cartier Tortue was introduced over 100 years ago, in 1912—just a few years after the Santos-Dumont (1904) and Tonneau (1906)—during a time when the Cartier name was synonymous with ultimate craftsmanship and quality. This remained true for much of the early 20th century. However, like many other brands, Cartier fell into a period of obscurity during the quartz crisis—and it wasn't a short one. Having largely disregarded its heritage, Cartier turned to mass-produced “fashion watches” with low-quality quartz or basic manual-wind movements for years.

In 1998, Cartier decided to make a change and once again embrace its fine watchmaking history and heritage through the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP) line. From 1998 to 2008, Cartier produced around 3,000 watches annually under the CPCP banner, reviving historic designs such as the Cintrée, Monopoussoir, and Guichets, in collaboration with top Swiss watchmakers like Piaget and Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The present example, the Tortue ref. 2498E (first release), is a product of the CPCP line. Housed in the (rarer) 18K rose gold case, it features the Piaget-based Cartier cal. 430 manual-wind movement—hand-finished and proudly displayed through the clear caseback. The star of the show, however, is undoubtedly the silver guilloché dial, which plays beautifully with the light and is contrasted by elegant blued steel hands.

The watch remains in pristine condition, with only light marks on the case and no imperfections on the dial. It comes with Cartier leather straps and the original 18K rose gold deployant clasp. Accompanied by a Cartier service document from 2018, it is currently running at +2 s/d, 302 amplitude, with a 0.2 ms beat error. It’s truly a gorgeous piece on the wrist.