Cartier 2762 Tortue XL Monopoussoir CPCP 18K White Gold Silver Dial

This Cartier Tortue, reference 2762, comes from the Collection Privée Cartier Paris — the maison's most horologically serious and collectible line — and ranks among its most coveted executions. It takes the form of the Tortue, one of Louis Cartier's earliest and most elegant shaped designs, its curved, tortoise-inspired case rendered here in white gold in the larger XL size for real presence on the wrist. It is a monopoussoir chronograph, its timing controlled by a single push-piece for a display of exceptional purity. The great draw, though, is the movement: the hand-wound calibre 045 MC was developed for Cartier by the legendary atelier THA — founded by François-Paul Journe, Vianney Halter, and Denis Flageollet before each became a giant of independent watchmaking — making this far more than a beautiful Cartier. The white-gold case measures 48mm in height, 37mm in width, and 12.2mm in thickness, its curves and octagonal crown lending an assertive yet graceful line. A silver dial with Roman numerals, a railroad minute track, and the "Cartier Paris" signature completes its vintage-inspired character. A rare piece with a genuinely remarkable pedigree hidden beneath the dial.