What links a 19th Century French magician, an ambitious young clockmaker and one of the great luxury maisons of the world? The Cartier Mystery Clock – so named because its hands appear to float mysteriously in the middle of the dial, with no apparent connection to the clock’s mechanism. Now, the auction house Phillips will be offering four of these exceptional Mystery Clocks for sale, along with five other rare Cartier table clocks, at its upcoming watch auctions in Geneva and Hong Kong.
What is a Mystery Clock?
At the turn of the 20th century, Cartier was already renowned for the extraordinary artistry of its jewellery and of its watches, like the Tank and the Santos. But Louis Cartier, one of three brothers who were the grandsons of the company founder Louis-François, was keen to push its watchmaking to the next level, hiring a young clockmaker called Maurice Coüet to imagine the most astonishing and groundbreaking models possible.
Inspired by the work of the 19th century French illusionist (and clockmaker) Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, in 1912 Coüet designed a mantel clock with diamond hands that appeared to magically float inside their rock crystal case, mysteriously indicating the time without being connected to any other part of the mechanism.
In reality, these hands are connected to two clear discs which rotate to tell the time and are actually connected to gears that are part of the clock’s movement – usually hidden within its base. Between 1900 and 1940, Cartier’s Mystery Clocks served to highlight the house’s mastery of design and innovation, and were crafted with precious and rare materials that make them extremely sought after by art lovers today.
What’s included in the sale?
Having four such Mystery Clocks come up for sale from the collection of a single private individual presents a once-in-a-lifetime chance for timekeeping aficionados to take a closer look at these engineering marvels.
“For Phillips and its international team of specialists, it is an incredible privilege and pleasure to bring such a historic, museum-quality selection of unique Cartier clocks from the early 20th century to the market,” says Aurel Bacs, senior consultant at Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, a firm which specialises in high-end watch auctions. “As King Edward VII called Cartier ‘the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers,’ issuing it with a royal warrant just two years after opening its first London store in 1902, these unique, entirely hand-crafted clocks are the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality, creativity, and mechanical ingenuity. Highlighted by the Portico Clock Number 3, which I consider one of the world’s most important horological items, all types of timekeepers combined and made in the 20th century, I can barely remember having seen such an important assembly of Cartier clocks at auction in the last decades.”
One of the nine super rare timepieces included in the sale, the ‘Portico Mystery Clock No. 3’, hasn’t been seen in public for over three decades and comes with an estimate of over $2 million. Only six of these Portico clocks are known to exist, with No.3 being one of the most elaborate – it is crafted with rose quartz, enamel, onyx, rock crystal, diamonds and boasts a Chinese temple-inspired frame with mother-of-pearl inlay and a diamond-set dragon motif.
Another timepiece, which will be offered in a Hong Kong sale on 23 May, expertly showcases the influence of East Asia on Cartier’s Art Deco clocks. This rare Mystery Clock (yours for a starting price of between US$256,000-513,000) features a coral sculpture depicting a dragon and a Bixie – a folkloric Chinese creature associated with strength, power and protection. Framed by mother-of-pearl, the octagonal dial boasts black enamel clouds, and its diamond-set hands are designed to resemble dragon’s wings.
Elsewhere, another desk clock crafted with red amber and black enamel has an intricately carved jadeite dial and rose-cut diamond hands, whilst a fourth rock crystal and onyx model, dating from around 1925, features the handsome and symmetrical proportions typical of the Art Deco movement.
Which other Cartier clocks will be auctioned?
Alongside Mystery Clocks, the Phillips sale will encompass five other rare Cartier timekeepers – including a miniature prism clock still in its original presentation boxm and a charming pink marble table clock featuring a barometer and a thermometer, and is topped with a carved agate elephant.
“I have known many of the extraordinary clocks for most of my horological life through old auction catalogues, museum exhibition catalogues, and literature,” adds Aurel Bacs. “I had even seen a few of them in person some 20 years ago – and now they have all become real, tangible, and available for the elite of collectors and institutions. It is an overwhelming feeling.”
The Phillips Watch Auction will take place in Geneva on 10-11 May and in Hong Kong on 23-25 May, 2025.
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