Cartier Crash Sells for Record $2 Million at Sotheby's Hong Kong

During the Important Watches auction at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on Friday, a rare Cartier Crash wristwatch sold for 15.6 million Hong Kong dollars, which is about $1.99 million. This sale broke the record for the highest price ever paid for a Cartier wristwatch. The 1987 model, of which only three were produced that year, exceeded its estimated value of $400,000–$800,000 after a nine-minute bidding war. The previous record was held by a London Crash that went for $1.65 million in 2022. Shinsuke Sakimoto, the CEO of Valuence Holdings, purchased the watch, adding to his collection that includes Jane Birkin's original 1984 Hermès Birkin bag. The watch was designed by Jean-Jacques Cartier and Rupert Emmerson, targeting trendy Londoners.