The Mythical Cartier Cheich Watch Breaks European Record

Paris, Friday 30 September – Moments ago, one of the rarest and most historically important wristwatches ever produced – the 1985 Cartier Cheich – sold for just over 1M Euros/$1.1M - setting a new record for any watch by Cartier to sell at auction in Europe.

One of the world’s great watch unicorns – the Cartier Cheich watch – a unique model born from the legendary collaboration between Cartier and one of the world’s most famous transnational races, The Paris-Dakar (now mostly known as The Dakar Rally) saw bidders battling up to the last minute, driving the final price more than twice its high estimate. Emerging onto the market for the first time, the unique watch leads today’s Paris Fine Watches online auction – currently ongoing for bidding {view here}.

“The Cheich Watch has a truly unique status, not only within the history of watchmaking at Cartier but within the history of watchmaking full stop. A complete design masterpiece, the Cheich’s story comes full circle, re-establishing its status once again as a trophy item for an incredibly lucky collector.  Shrouded in mystery on its whereabouts for the last forty years, it’s been an absolute honor to bring this watch on the market for the very first time, and to see it achieve such a record-breaking price.” Benoît Colson, International Watch Specialist, Sotheby’s.

The Cheich watch by Cartier – Historical context

In 1983, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Paris-Dakar – a 10,000-kilometer, unforgiving and perilous rally across France and the splendor of the African desert, open to any suitable motorized land vehicles – Alain Dominique Perrin and Thierry Sabine, created the Cartier Challenge whose winner would be awarded a bespoke Cartier Cheich watch. To qualify as worthy winner, the contender needed to win the race twice, in the same motoring category (bike, car, or truck) in two consecutive years – a feat so extraordinary that it was deemed to be nigh on impossible and, de facto, became the world’s ultimate racing challenge. Gaston Rahier won the challenge in 1984 and in 1985, making him the first and only winner of the Cartier Challenge, becoming the sole recipient of the Cartier Cheich watch as the winning trophy celebrating his staggering achievement.

The Cartier Cheich, designed to reflect the spirit of the Paris-Dakar, by Jacques Diltoer, the then Creative Director of Cartier and Perrin, was inspired by the rally’s logo featuring the silhouetted face of a Tuareg wearing a ‘cheich’ (or in French ‘chèche’), a traditional piece of cloth worn around the head as a protection against the sun. Only three models were ever created: the original two Cartier Cheich watches designed in 1983, one for a man (that awarded to Gaston Rahier) and another for a potential female winner. A third was created in circa 1985 for another possible future champion. A possible fourth piece could have been offered to Hubert Auriol, a famous French motorbike race driver and close friend of Perrin, but that watch, if it ever existed, is considered as lost.

However, 1986 was to mark both the end of the Cartier Challenge, and the end of the production of the Chartier Cheich. Towards the end of the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally, Thierry Sabine was victim of a helicopter crash in Mali caused by a sandstorm. The crash killed not only Sabine, but another four people – including one of France’s most beloved singers, Daniel Balavoine, who was then at the zenith of his fame. Although the rally ran its course that year, no one won the Cartier challenge which was cancelled shortly afterwards, after running for only four years.

Today, the other two Cartier Cheich watches remain in Cartier’s collection. Although all three share similarities in the overall aesthetic, each feature unique design details:  the sole ladies watch is smaller in size and diamond set, whilst the dial of the third watch, created after Gaston Rahier’s historic win, incorporates elongated Roman and baton indexes and no rail track.

While the Cheich is one of the most important and mythical wristwatches ever made by Cartier, the ‘Rahier’ – the only one given to a winner of the Cartier Challenge - is the only example that will ever be on the market.

Never before had a watch adopted such a radical yet elegant shape. With the Cheich model, Cartier created an extremely audacious design that has never been replicated in the same way since. While the size of the timepiece can today be considered classic, its aura and charisma are simply staggering.