The Cartier Baignoire is an oval dress watch whose shape dates back to 1912, but Phillips and Sotheby’s both place its official public release in 1957, when it was sold through the New York and London boutiques. The case is built from two straight, parallel lines joined by two curves, an elongation of the round watch that Louis Cartier worked out before the First World War. Vintage examples are typically cased in 18k gold with a manually wound movement and a dial signed “Cartier Paris” or “Cartier London”. A medium-sized 1960s Paris example sold by Phillips, for instance, measures 36 mm long by 26 mm wide, with an 18-jewel hand-wound movement and an 18k gold Cartier deployant clasp. Typical design cues are a domed crystal, a Roman-numeral dial and a smooth gold case band. The model matters because it established the oval as one of the recurring shapes of the maison’s jewellery watches, alongside the Tank and the Santos.

The first, unofficial Baignoire was presented to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, one of Louis Cartier‘s most important clients. The name is usually linked to the French word for bathtub, although Christie’s notes that the model was only christened “Baignoire” in 1973 and that the term also refers to the private boxes of the great opera houses. Over the decades the shape was produced in many versions, from tiny mini models to the elongated Maxi Oval of more than 58 mm, as well as high-jewellery pieces. Charlie Chaplin gave his wife Oona a 1960s reference 7672, and the actor James Garner wore a 1960s Baignoire Paris as his favourite dress watch.

Sotheby’s describes the Baignoire as a hallmark of Cartier‘s ladies’ watches and a collector’s favourite, and recent auction results back that up: a c.1960 reference 7672 made 34,290 USD in December 2023 against a high estimate of 16,000 USD, a Shirley Bassey example reached 66,000 EUR in 2024, and James Garner’s 1960s piece sold at Phillips for 30,240 USD. Vintage collectors value Paris and London signed cases and original condition, while the small size is the main reservation for buyers used to modern proportions. The original 1957 production watches are no longer made, but the model remains in production: in June 2023 the maison relaunched the Baignoire with 11 new pieces, including a bangle version, and it continues to add models to the collection.