Lot 128

Cartier

Montre bracelet baguette à mouvement Duoplan

A lady's important and extremely rare vintage miniature wristwatch "Montre bracelet baguette à mouvement Duoplan", with the world's smallest mechanical movement - with original Cartier presentation box

The rectangular case, only 6 mm wide, has fluted, moveable lugs and a leather cord strap with an 18 K pink gold folding clasp. The white dial with Arabic numerals is signed "Cartier France", and the miniature movement with side lever escapement and Glucydur screw balance is signed "European Watch & Clock Co.".
The European Watch & Clock Co. was a collaboration between Cartier and the watchmaker Edmond Jaeger from the early 1920s, who purchased raw movements from LeCoultre & Cie from 1907. In 1930, he entered into a partnership with Jacques-David LeCoultre under the company name Jaeger-LeCoultre.
When the Duoplan calibre was introduced in the 1920s, it was one of the smallest (yet accurate) movements. This was achieved with a two-level design that allowed enough room for a sufficiently large balance - always a prerequisite for accuracy in pocket watches and wristwatches. The Jaeger Duoplan for ladies was available in a number of different models and eventually became a very successful, classic timepiece. The Duoplan calibre 101 is 14 mm long, 4.8 mm wide and 3.4 mm high - it is still the smallest mechanical movement ever. Its original 74 parts only weighed a total of one gram. This prodigious feat of miniaturisation has equipped the most exclusive watches, starting with the one worn by Queen Elizabeth II of England on her Coronation Day in 1953.
This watch was part of the auction "The Magical Art of Cartier", lot 308, held in Geneva in 1996.