What to know before buying vintage Cartier | Key criteria for choosing models made before 1970
In recent years, vintage Cartier has grown in popularity worldwide, with many people choosing them as collector's items or everyday watches.
Among these, Cartier watches manufactured before 1970 hold a special place due to their unique historical background, which differs from that of today's watches.
That is precisely why we are especially meticulous when inspecting watches from this era.
Even with over 20 years of experience continuously handling vintage Cartier, we believe that the "verification process" is particularly crucial for watches from this period.
Why does Cartier from before 1970 require careful verification?
Some Cartier models produced before 1970 sourced movements and cases from external specialized manufacturers.
Exploiting this historical background, there was a time when non-Cartier watches were modified and circulated as Cartier watches.
Although this is far less common now, some vintage Cartier models from this era make it difficult to determine their authenticity and originality.
Therefore, it is not uncommon to encounter pieces that cannot be judged solely by documents or external appearance.
At Ante, we don't rely solely on experience.
Even with over 20 years of continuously handling Cartier, there are pieces about which I wouldn't want to make a judgment based solely on my own experience.
That's why at Ante, we don't rely solely on experience.
For vintage Cartier watches from before 1970, we always have them verified at Cartier's official workshop in Switzerland before introducing them to our customers.
This verification process can sometimes take six months to a year.
Nevertheless, we never skip this step.
What we verify
During Cartier's verification process, we confirm crucial points such as:
・Are genuine parts used?
・Is the piece acceptable for official Cartier service?
・Can the piece be maintained by official service in the future?
We believe this process holds significant meaning for us.
It is an essential quality standard to ensure that we deliver watches to our customers with peace of mind.
For more details on Ante's productization standards, please refer to "Thinking beyond the sale: Ante's quality standards."
Look at the "verification process," not the "price."
What I most want to convey about vintage Cartier from before 1970 is not the price, but rather:
What kind of verification process did the watch undergo before being made available for sale?
Even if watches appear to be the same model, the peace of mind varies greatly depending on the verification process each individual piece underwent before being sold.
We consider what is more important than price when choosing a vintage Cartier to be "What's more important than price." We elaborate on this in "What's more important than price."
What truly valuable vintage Cartier means
When considering a vintage Cartier,
please pay attention not only to "where you buy it,"
but also to "what kind of verification the watch has undergone."
We believe that this accumulation of verification is what leads to a timepiece that you can cherish with peace of mind for 10 or 20 years to come.
Ante's Philosophy
The value of vintage Cartier cannot be judged by its appearance or price alone.
It's about the history of each piece, the verification it has undergone, and who took responsibility for productizing it.
We believe that this "invisible value" is the most important factor for confidently choosing a vintage Cartier.
