How Much Is a Cartier Watch?
8th Dec 2021
Cartier is a titan in the luxury watch industry. Since the jewelry company’s founding nearly 175 years ago, they have been a horological trendsetter. Cartier’s prestigious watches have price points for beginner luxury watch collectors and seasoned collectors alike. The price of the luxury timepiece that catches your eye is primarily determined by its materials, movement, and features.
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Market Demand for Cartier Watches
The demand for Cartier watches has remained consistent across the company’s history, ensuring that their timepieces hold their value. But several models have developed a cult status that drives up demand and, subsequently, the price. The Cartier Tank, crafted to mimic the appearance of WWI military tanks, is one of the brand’s most in-demand among vintage watch collectors. This makes pre-owned Tanks some of the more expensive timepieces in the brand’s lineup.
History and Prestige
The base price for a Cartier watch is also determined by the company’s storied history and prestige in the watch world. The company's namesake, Louis-Francois Cartier, founded Cartier in 1847. Since then, Cartier has created jewelry and timepieces for celebrities, politicians, and royalty worldwide, including Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Tom Cruise, and Dan Levy. Meghan Markle even donned a Cartier piece that Princess Diana had worn at past galas in tribute to her late mother-in-law. Cartier watches continue to epitomize elegance and sophistication, making them covetable timepieces.
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Quality Materials and Trend-Setting Design
Cartier, known for their square and rectangular models, surprised the watch world with the Ballon Bleu’s rounded design. The Ballon Bleu is a gender-neutral piece that celebrities like Bill Clinton, Johnny Depp, and Kate Middleton have added to their collections. Luxury watch brands demand high prices because they use high-quality gold, silver, sapphire, and stainless steel. The price discrepancy seen in two Cartier Ballon Bleu Models highlights how impactful watch materials are in price determination.
Cartier Ballon Bleu W69016Z4: $5,715.00
The Cartier Ballon Bleu W69016Z4 has a stainless steel case, integrated crown, and bezel. It shares the sapphire crystal with other Cartier watches to deliver non-reflective clarity for the roman numeral hour markers. The Ballon Bleu W69016Z4 affords the wearer comfortable luxury at a reasonable price point.
Cartier Ballon Bleu WJBB0037: $33,495.00
On the other end of the price spectrum is the Cartier Ballon Bleu WJBB0037. This high-end Ballon Bleu comes with an 18k rose gold case and bracelet. The diamond bezel beautifully encapsulates the sapphire crystal. Classic blue silver hands lend the Ballon Bleu WJBB0037 prestige over 170 years of Cartier style.
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The Art of Movement
Cartier watches have a successful history and widespread recognition based upon their superior craftsmanship. Cartier builds quartz-powered watches and mechanical watches with automatic and manual winding movements. The movement styles have a direct impact on the cost of Cartier models.
Quartz movement
Models with quartz movement have a small quartz crystal that uses a battery to power the watch. Quartz crystals vibrate consistently when electricity runs through them, only losing around 10 seconds of accuracy a month. While they don’t offer the same artful engineering as mechanical movements, quartz watches are more reliable and functional. Cartier models with quartz movement typically cost less than those with mechanical movements.
The Cartier Santos Dumont W2SA0011 is an iteration of the classic Santos Dumont model, first released to the public in 1911. The Santos Dumont W2SA0011 has a quartz movement accompanied by an 18k rose gold bezel and stainless steel case. It has the original Cartier square design and Roman numeral hour markers.
Automatic movement
Automatic movement refers to watches powered by the energy transfer from the movement of your arm to a rotating balanced weight in the watch. An automatic movement watch stores excess energy to keep the watch running after your arm stops moving. The high level of mechanical intricacy in automatic movements increases watches’ value because of the labor involved in crafting a watch of this type.
The Cartier Santos WGSA0019 is characterized by its 18K rose gold case, bezel, and lugs. Its silver dial is powered by an automatic movement, making it a beautiful addition to any collection. The automatic movement and higher-end materials contribute to the almost $13,000 cost increase from the Cartier Santos Dumont W2SA0011 model.
Cartier Watches Lead in Design and Mechanics
The success of Cartier watches is built on their refined, luxurious style and diligently crafted movements. The quality and craftsmanship associated with this brand are the reasons why watch collectors are willing to spend a significant sum on these timepieces. However, the company also makes watches for those looking to start their luxury watch collection at modest prices. While fluctuating markets impact watch prices, the mechanical aspects, materials used, and model design always play a large role in a Cartier model’s price.
Explore the complete range of Cartier watches available at Luxury of Watches today to find your perfect timepiece.