Watches of Knightsbridge to Auction Unique Cartier Customized For Punk Exhibition at The Met
The dial was painted by an artist from New York in 2013.
London-based Watches of Knightsbridge is auctioning off a unique vintage Cartier that has been customized by Brooklyn artist Travis W. Simon.
The customisation in 2013 was commissioned by fashion retailer, Moda Operandi, and vintage specialist, Foundwell, which sourced the watch, with the finished piece being sold in connection with the PUNK: Chaos to Couture exhibition at The Met in New York.
The manually wound, 18k gold Ref. 78097 Cartier Paris Santos Dumont dates from the 1980s and features its original, now customized, dial bearing the slogan “F*CK 9-5”.
Simon documents the design and painting process on Behance, which shows that, back in 2013, the watch appears to have been sold for $13,750 USD on a houndstooth-printed silk strap, while the watch is now presented on a “Cartier leather strap with gold plated pin buckle.”.
The dial and case are listed as being in excellent condition and the watch as “running and functioning” with Watches of Knightsbridge attaching an estimate of between £5,000 – £10,000 GBP (approximately $6,821 – $13,642 USD).
The watch will be auctioned off as Lot 29 of Watches of Knightsbridge’s Modern, Vintage and Military Timepieces sale on November 13.
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