Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, perfect replica Cartier introduced diamond-set versions in the same 38.5mm by 22.5mm dimensions, beginning with yellow gold. The watch featured three rows of pavé set diamonds and a beaded crown set with a brilliant-cut diamond.
This was later followed by 50-piece white gold limited edition that was launched for yet another re-opening of 13 rue de la Paix in 2005. In between, diamond luxury fake Cartier Crashes were produced as a special order in small quantities in all three colours of gold as well as platinum.
It is worth noting that best 1:1 replica Cartier presented an alternative interpretation of a distorted Maxi Oval in 2009 with the Baignoire S. It bore a resemblance to the original aaa quality fake Cartier Crash but had an elongated S shape with numerals that were even more dramatically skewed. Its dimensions were also bolder at 48 mm by 22 mm, providing the stage its design needed.
In 2013, Swiss movement fake Cartier unveiled the first Crash on a metal bracelet in both pink and white gold, each limited to 267 pieces. Additionally, there were diamond bracelet variations in both metals, with each of these limited to just 67 pieces.
To date, the diamond-set Crash watches have emerged 52 times at auction. Interestingly, within the realm of diamond-set Crash watches, value is determined more by objective attributes than by their production year, diverging from the valuation dynamics observed across the sans-diamonds versions. While the idea of a gendered watch is increasingly antiquated, the Crash Diamonds, due to its dimensions and presence of diamonds, is quite squarely a ladies’ watch. As such, the trend might suggest that female buyers have a different and arguably more practical set of priorities when it comes to Crash collecting.
Diamond-set white and yellow gold examples from the 1990s to the early 2000s reached a pinnacle of US$192,635 at Christie’s in May 2022 but it has since experienced a substantial dip, going for US$105,119 at Christie’s in November, notably falling behind the 2013 bracelet version, which fetched US$153,928 the same month.
Meanwhile, the absence of platinum examples is noteworthy. Examples featuring pink diamonds are extremely rare, having surfaced only twice at auction – once at Christie’s in 2015, and more recently at Sotheby’s in October, fetching a price of US$137,839.
Prigigallo asserts, “Today, apart from the metal bracelet version, all diamond Crash watches, including special and colourful editions, exhibit modest performance. Nevertheless, they maintain a lower-than-average unsold rate, indicating a level of appreciation among collectors.”