Diamond Wristwatch, 'Tonneau'

The silvered dial with applied twelve and six Roman numerals, within a brilliant-cut diamond-set bezel and white gold case, completed by a black fabric band and a white gold deployant clasp, mounted in 18K white gold, manual movement, inner circumference approximately 6 1/8 inches, signed Cartier, numbered, with Swiss assay mark for 18K gold, maker's mark, accompanied by a signed box.
Artist Biography
Cartier
French
With the Constitution of 1848 came a new standard for luxury in France. Founded one year prior by Louis-Francois Cartier, the house of Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making. This incredibly expensive material became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms and attitude. It helped men move from pocket watches to wristwatches, effectively making the watch much more functional and prominent in a man's overall wardrobe.
Cartier did not only touch on functionality. Inspired by a commissioned painting by George Barbier featuring a black panther at the feet of an elegantly bejeweled woman, Cartier began incorporating wild animals in his designs—most notably, Cartier Panthère rings, bangle bracelets and watches. Yet it wasn't until the late 1960s that the house of Cartier debuted their iconic yellow and rose gold LOVE collection, which includes the famous bracelet that only a special screwdriver can open.