Cartier Cougar

OMG, the Cougar! Pt. II. This is the daddy version. This watch was launched by Cartier in 1989, about a decade before the term “Cougar” was used to refer to women like Stifler’s mom. Rather, its name derives Cartier’s long standing fascination with the sleek, feline form. The Cougar came hot off the heels of the Panthère (released in 1985), offering a variation on the now-iconic model. This lesser known watch is charming in its own right with the blue enamel rounded dial and diamond markers. Bold and captivating, it’s a gorg alternative for those looking to veer away from the popular Panthère and plot their own path toward it-girldom. 

THE BASICS

DATE OF BIRTH: Circa Early 1990s 

MATERIAL: 18 carat yellow gold with a blue enamel dial and factory diamond markers

SIZE: 32mm

MOVEMENT: Quartz

CONDITION: Excellent, lightly polished case, original bracelet 

BOX/PAPERS: No/No

THE NITTY GRITTY:

A solid eighteen carat gold Cartier Cougar wristwatch. A beautiful, striking and yet quite subtle model from the extensive Cartier watch line. This is perhaps one of the less seen of the range of wrist watch models from this storied French icon. The Cougar was launched in 1989, also being blessed with a feline associated name much like its cousin the Panthère. There is a constant cat theme within the Cartier lineage, and this model was introduced in order to evolve and develop that.

In 1914, Louis Cartier commissioned French illustrator George Barbier to draw a “Lady with a Panther'', to be later used in advertising. From this moment, the black panther, leopards, cheetahs and tigers were featured across both watches and jewelry for the luxury atelier. This was further reinforced after the appointment ofJeanne Toussaint. After joining Cartier in 1918, she became known as “La Panthère” for her unique style and captivating personality. By 1933, Toussaint was appointed Artistic Director of High Jewelry by Louis Cartier. From this position, "La Panthère" maintained the appearance of feline forms and details throughout the creations of the team of artisans and artists creating the sublime and sumptuous pieces.

This model was an evolution of form from the launch of the iconic Panthère in 1984. Moving away from the cushion case to a more rounded design, this watch takes a number of design cues from its predecessor: the riveted style bezel, quite simple and clean design, a crown guard protecting the winding crown, and the same bracelet design and closure. It is simply a cat, but of another breed. These models presented the opportunity to have a chic, classy and stylish watch which was also quite sporty. The cases are thinner in profile and, without a mechanical movement, they are more durable. Many of these watches were seen on the golf courses, tennis courts and beaches of the world's most elegant places in the 1980's and '90s.

The dial on this example is the opposite of iconic Cartier design, which is an egg shell dial, black Roman numerals, blue steeled hands and the discreet "hidden" signature. This time, a very bold – almost midnight – navy blue enamel glossy dial is used. Small princess cut diamonds pick out each hour marker, and the "Cartier" signature and "Swiss" below the six o'clock marker are printed in a gilt font that stands out beautifully from the dial. Again, another step away from classic Cartier styling is the use of a diamond set into the crown, instead of the classic cabochon sapphire. This design cue would later on become the hallmark for their highest level of watch making, known as the "CPCP" or "Priveé Collection". So this watch was an early trendsetter towards that.

As mentioned, the bracelet, in solid eighteen carat yellow gold, is the same one used on the Panthère – only this time has a rounded end link fitting flush into the case. It has the classic double opening deployant system, which was used throughout the Cartier line at this time. A number of the links have small gold screws in the sides which allow them to be added or removed.

The fully signed and hallmarked watch case back is held in place by a number of small gold screws, beneath which is a Cartier quartz movement. The watch has been very lightly polished over the years, and is presented in stunning condition throughout.

Both this and the Panthère were introduced at a great time in Cartier's history. The houses had once again been unified. The Cartier Museum was now up and running, as was the Cartier Foundation. The business had achieved over $1 billion in sales, and this model was produced hot off the heels of the acquisition of Baume & Mercier and Piaget. This is a rare chance to own an unusual piece of vintage Cartier history. Should this size be too large, we have also listed the "hers" version to this watch as well as the then "his". However, today, the "his" is also regarded as being on the smaller side at around thirty three millimeters.