18ct yellow gold Cartier ref. 17001 Ceinture automatic wristwatch. Made 1970's

The Ceinture was so named because the case is shaped like a belt’s buckle (ceinture is the French word for belt) with a very interesting square case featuring corners that appear to be “cut.” The winding crown, usually quite prominent and set with a blue sapphire – Cartier’s signature element – is completely flat here, residing in a slot in the watch bezel without its usual sapphire cabochon. This unique feature is one that Cartier calls its remontoir imperdable (“captive winding”).

The first Ceinture watch dates back to 1927 with its unique octagonal case design encompassing a hidden crown in the bezel. It was successfully relaunched as a 12-model line in the early 1970's for the last time.