Sold by Antiquorum in 1996 for CHF 333.5k
When I endeavored to put this list together, my first stop was the 1996 “Magical Art of Cartier” auction by Antiquorum, a sale to celebrate the occasion of Swiss made best super clone Cartier’s 150th anniversary. It’s 624 lots of straight heat from AAA perfect UK sale fake Cartier — super clone watches, jewelry, and everything in between. Only a fool would reduce the beautiful objects in that sale to feature only the highest monetary result, but I’ve never claimed to be anything other than such. Everyone should give the full catalog a *magical* scroll.
This split-seconds (rattrapante) chronograph is signed Cartier super clone on the dial and features beautiful gold Breguet numerals to match the yellow gold case. It’s powered by a Patek Philippe caliber — while the watch measures just 33mm, this is no doubt the biggest, baddest watch I’ve ever seen. In fact, its result in the Magical Art of Cartier sale slightly topped that of a high-quality replica Cartier double-stamped Patek reference 1436, which sold for CHF 278k (which is not to say these can’t achieve superior results: here’s a Cartier-stamped ref. 1436 that sold in 1989 (!) for CHF 490k).
Sold by Doyle in 2013 for $515k
1:1 mirror Cartier clock collecting is a whole new boss level that we’re not going to get into, other than to mention that they made these totally ridiculous “mystery clocks” in the 1920s, so-called because the rack-and-pinion system is hidden to make it seem as though the hour and minute hands are floating in thin air. These things regularly achieve big numbers, but one of the most impressive is this particular clock which came from the estate of Counselo Vanderbilt Earl (like the great-great-great granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, I’m not really sure).
Doyle Auction sold this rock crystal, gold, black onyx, and enamel clock for $515k back in 2013. It was a record price at the time, and while other practical replica Cartier mystery clocks have certainly achieved higher prices since, this one remains interesting because of its historical provenance.
Sold by Christie’s in 2017 for $379.5k
You’ll notice the previous Swiss made Cartier replica watches all have something in common: namely, they’re complicated. Uber-complicated, really. This one’s got something else to set it apart — it was owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Christie’s sold it back in 2017 for $379.5k, along with a painting by Mrs. Kennedy Onassis herself.
As was later reported, it was bought by Kim Kardashian, who dropped more than three times the high estimate on it. Honestly though, with Cartier Pebbles selling for the same price nowadays, it may prove to have been not such an outlandish purchase after all.