The Cartier Cheich watch, one of four in existence, sold for $1.1 million at Sotheby’s Paris last week. It’s the first time the watch has appeared at auction.
Paris—A rare Cartier timepiece has more than doubled its auction pre-sale estimate.
The Cartier Cheich, considered a “unicorn” in the watch world, sold for $1.1 million at Sotheby’s Paris last week. It was estimated to sell for between approximately $200,000 and $400,000.
According to Sotheby’s, it’s the most expensive Cartier watch to sell at auction in Europe.
“The Cheich Watch has a truly unique status, not only within the history of watchmaking at Cartier but within the history of watchmaking full stop,” said Sotheby’s International Watch Specialist Benoît Colson.
“A complete design masterpiece, the Cheich’s story comes full circle, re-establishing its status once again as a trophy item for an incredibly lucky collector. Shrouded in mystery on its whereabouts for the last forty years, it’s been an absolute honor to bring this watch on the market for the very first time, and to see it achieve such a record-breaking price.”
Designed in ode to the Paris-Dakar mascot, the Cartier Cheich depicted the silhouetted face of a Tuareg person, the Berber ethnic group that inhabits the Sahara, in traditional robes that protect from the desert sun, called the cheich.
There are only four Cartier Cheich timepieces in existence.
They were crafted in honor of the Paris-Dakar race—now called the Dakar Rally—a rally open to motorized land vehicles that originally took place in Europe and northern Africa, spanning 10,000 kilometers, or 6,214 miles.
The timepiece sold at Sotheby’s Paris was given to the winner of the Cartier Challenge—Belgian Gaston Rahier, who won back-to-back races in 1984 and 1985.
The watch led the online Fine Watches sale. Full results are available online.
