Lot 687 , Cartier, a rare 18ct gold 'TV' bangle, London, circa 1975

Cartier, a rare 18ct gold 'TV' bangle, London, circa 1975, the hinged rectangular bangle of tubular construction in 18ct gold, interior approximately 6.4 x 5.0cm, signed Cartier London, numbered P7888, British hallmarks for London, date letter A for 1975, sponsor's mark JC for Jacques Cartier

Under the creative direction of Jean-Jacques Cartier, Cartier's London branch found themselves in a city transformed by the new youth culture of the 'Swinging Sixties', whose fashions and values were drastic departures from previous generations. Jewellery was not immune to these changes in tastes, and as noted by the writer and Cartier historian Francesca Cartier-Brickell, Cartier found that demand for their traditional 'high jewellery' was on the wane. In response to the demand for more casual, fashionable designs, Cartier created a number of jewels in yellow gold that were at once sleek and minimalist, yet uncompromisingly bold, that fit perfectly into the new aesthetic. Alongside the famed 'Crash' watch also created around this time, the 'TV' bangles, named for their rectangular silhouette, also retain a playful and slightly surrealist sensibility, experimenting with and expanding upon the basic forms of jewellery that Cartier had mastered over the preceding decades.

Cf.: Christie's, Important Jewels, 28th November 2018, lot 192, and Bonhams, London Jewels, 28th April 2021, lot 50, for similar examples of this rare design.
£7,000-9,000

Condition:
Gross weight approximately 107 grams. In good condition, typical minor surface wear and areas of discoloration. Hinge well-aligned and flush, clasp in good working order, closing securely.

Sold for £30,000