The Cartier Baignoire: Our Guide to the Iconic Oval Watch
Cartier’s signature oval-shaped watch, the Baignoire, has been gaining in popularity in the past few years. Some might even call the Cartier Baignoire the brand’s current it-girl watch, although vintage models have gained popularity among male collectors too. A wave of interest online among younger collectors, style influencers, and celebrities surged after a 2023 release that saw Cartier pair the Baignoire with a stackable bangle bracelet. Status symbol aside, it’s always been a marker of effortless style and a watch the brand itself describes as “French Chic.”
The Cartier Baignoire comes in a variety of metal finishes, sizes, and even special shapes and sub-models, making it a fun watch to shop for and own. In this guide, we’ll go through the Baignoire collection, including its history and the different iterations available to collectors today.
Cartier Baignoire History
What is the Cartier Baignoire, anyway? Cartier officially released what was then known as the “Ovale cintré” in 1958, but its history dates back much farther than that, to 1912, when it’s believed the brand developed a special oval-shaped watch for the Russian Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.
It wasn’t until 1973 that Cartier started formally calling the watch the Baignoire. That was also around the time production shifted to Switzerland, but early French-made examples are quite desirable. Among the most sought-after of all is the Cartier Oblique Driver, with its distinctive tilted case.
The Cartier Baignoire watch always has an oval-shaped case, sometimes plain, and other times dripping in sparkling diamonds. Most models feature the traditional Cartier Roman numeral dial and sword-shaped hands. However, some are available without any markers at all. And some early versions with Arabic numerals are among the rarest, like this version shared by watch dealer Kevin O’Dell:
The options are endless, making the Baignoire one of the best Cartier watches for women on the market. Furthermore, while the current production collection is limited to just a couple dozen watches, there are countless older models in the Cartier archives, and even rare special editions with unique bracelets, which we’ll cover briefly later in this guide.
Key Features of the Cartier Baignoire
- Oval-shaped case
- Two-hand dress watch (no seconds hand, no complications, no lume)
- Classic Roman numeral dial on most models
- Blue cabochon crown, or a diamond on some models
- Strap, metal bracelet, or bangle options
- Manual-wind or quartz movement
- Almost always yellow, white, or rose gold. Older models are available in two-tone, and very early platinum versions are extremely rare.
- Waterproof to 30 meters
The origin of the name itself is quite murky. Many sources, including experienced watch collectors, claim that “Baignoire,” which translates to “bathtub” in English, is literal and draws inspiration from the oval, bathtub-shaped lines of the case. Others believe its origins are inspired by the VIP seats by the same name at the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, France.
Modern Variants
As of the writing of this article, Cartier only produces a handful of Baignoire variations. The newer Baignoire bangle pairs the case with, you guessed it, a bangle bracelet. The collection is also home to the Allongée with (as the name suggests) an elongated oval-shaped case, as well as the classic Baignoire on an approachable leather strap.
The two remaining Cartier Baignoire Allongée models in the catalog are both powered by a manual-winding mechanical movement, while the rest of the Baignoires are quartz-powered. They all come in solid gold cases.
Cartier Baignoire Size Guide:
- Mini: 24.6mm x 18.7mm x 7.2mm
- Small: 31.4mm x 23.1mm x 6.9mm
- Medium: 36mm x 26mm x 8.5mm (Discontinued)
- Allongée Medium: 47mm x 21mm x 8mm
- Allongée Extra-Large (Discontinued): 52mm x 23mm x 8mm
Quick note on Cartier Bangle bracelet sizes: The watch is currently only available in mini or small sizes, which refers to the size of the watch head. From there, both are available in size 15, 16, or 17 which refers to the size of the bracelet. Keep in mind, these watches are meant to be worn close to the wrist, per Cartier, so finding the perfect fit is key.
Cartier Baignoire Bangle
Cleverly dubbed “The oval within an oval,” the new bangle series pairs the elegant case with a matching ellipse-shaped bangle bracelet that swings open to accommodate the wrist.
The collection currently comes in sizes mini and small and ranges from plain gold models to watches decorated with diamonds.
- Sizes: mini, small
- Metals: yellow gold, rose gold, white gold
- Bezel: Plain or with diamonds
- Bracelet: Bangle, plain or with diamonds
- Movement: quartz
More on Cartier:
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| ➢ | The Most Expensive Cartier Watches |
| ➢ | Cartier 2024 Release Guide |
| ➢ | Omega vs. Cartier: The Battle for #2 |
| ➢ | Who Owns Cartier? |
| ➢ | Guide to the Cartier Roadster |
Classic Baignoire
If it’s a more classic aesthetic you’re after, Cartier also currently sells the Baignoire on an understated leather strap and either a plain gold or diamond-studded bezel. It’s powered by a handy quartz movement and is available in mini, small, and medium sizes. The mini is the only one available without diamonds on the bezel.
- Sizes: Mini, small, medium
- Metals: Yellow gold, white gold, rose gold
- Bezel: Plain or with diamonds
- Bracelet: Leather
- Movement: Quartz
Cartier Baignoire Allongée
Last, but not least, is the Allongée. As you can see, it’s basically the Baignoire but with a longer case pinched to a sharp angle on either end. Current models have a diamond bezel, though it’s also possible to find this model pre-owned without diamonds. These watches are powered by the in-house manual-winding caliber 1917 MC rather than a quartz movement and are available in either rose or white gold.
- Sizes: medium
- Metals: white gold, rose gold
- Bezel: diamonds
- Bracelet: leather
- Movement: manual-winding
Older Examples of the Baignoire
Digging further into the collection’s archives, you’ll find countless examples on unique bracelets, like the gold Cartier Baignoire ref. 1967. It features an elegant oval-link bracelet to match the shape of the case.
Another common bracelet type that’s since been discontinued is this single-link bracelet with differently shaped, stacked links. Cartier produced this bracelet in different types of gold or in two-tone, pairing gold with stainless steel.
Ref. 1950 1 is a different approach to the Baignoire bracelet with bow-tie links and a lovely diamond pavé treatment.
Price
Cartier currently offers the Baignoire in 26 configurations, ranging from $9,000 for a quartz Mini model on a leather strap to $85,500 for a diamond-saturated bangle version. Secondhand, prices are typically about 20% under MSRP. Although the Cartier Baignoire hasn’t shattered the six-figure barrier like its red-hot irregularly-shaped counterpart, the Cartier Crash, rare vintage versions can easily sell for over $30,000.
As you can see, the Baignoire comes in many configurations, old and new, all with the same oval silhouette that never really seems to go out of style.
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