Full Provenance with COA - Part of our Renowned Celebrity Collection - 1 Year Warranty

Few objects from the estate of President Jimmy Carter invite the imagination quite like this Cartier desk clock. The Carters were famously modest in their personal lives, and their longtime home in Plains, Georgia reflected that unpretentious character. Against that backdrop, an elegant Cartier clock such as this is particularly intriguing. Was it part of their life in Plains, or more likely did it belong to another chapter of the Carter story?

A desk clock, after all, is an object meant to occupy a place. It sits on a desk, table, credenza, or shelf, quietly marking the hours as correspondence is written, visitors received, meetings held, and decisions made. And with a clock from the estate of a President of the United States, there is one irresistible question: where did it sit?

Could this Cartier have accompanied the Carters to Washington? Might it have stood somewhere within the White House during the four years of the Carter presidency? Perhaps even on a table or desk in the Oval Office?

Those questions must remain unanswered. Yet given the Carters' famously restrained lifestyle, the juxtaposition of this luxurious Cartier with their otherwise modest domestic world makes its history especially tantalizing. Its documented Carter estate provenance is certain. Where within that extraordinary life it once marked the passing hours is left for history, and its next owner, to ponder.

The clock itself is unmistakably Cartier. Its classic white dial features large Roman numerals and Cartier's timeless design language, a style that has remained largely unchanged because it is so enduringly successful. Surrounding the dial is a richly colored green marbled case evocative of fine malachite, accented by warm gilt trim that beautifully frames the display. Its blue cabochon sapphire-style setting crowns on the back, and an easel-style hinged stand with signature Cartier "C" motif feet, result in a clock that is sophisticated, restrained, and immediately recognizable as Cartier.

What elevates this piece far beyond its design is its provenance. It represents a tangible connection to one of the most admired presidential families in modern American history. Carter's legacy extends far beyond his years in the White House through decades of humanitarian work, diplomacy, and public service. Objects from his personal surroundings offer a particularly tangible connection to that extraordinary life, and with a desk clock, there is an added fascination: wherever it was placed, it would have quietly marked the passing hours as Carter lived through a remarkable span of American history.

Unlike formal presentation gifts, ceremonial objects, or political memorabilia created for public display, this is a personal work or household item. Those are often the most fascinating artifacts because they were chosen to be lived with and enjoyed. It is easy to picture this clock marking the passage of time through countless ordinary and extraordinary moments alike, whether in Georgia, Washington, or elsewhere during the remarkable lives of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

The reverse is signed Cartier Paris and fitted with the traditional winding and setting controls expected of a fine mechanical desk clock.

It remains in overall very good condition and was clearly used presumably for a number of years. We have not cleaned or polished the watch or done anything to the outside of it - we left it just as we acquired it which includes signs of use.

On the inside, one of our Master Watchmakers has performed any needed servicing making it ready for immediate enjoyment and for use for many years to come.

It is now running strong and true, keeping very accurate time.

Included with the purchase is a one-year C.O.T. international warranty on the movement and its function, and a full-page custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance. Also accompanying it is a Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance from a well-known auction house.

Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership, was given training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center, and has done authorized work for the Cartier Service Center.

Connoisseur of Time's Renowned Celebrity Collection:

Mr. Carter's desk clock is part of our Celebrity Collection of watches that has been featured in GQ, Revolution Watch, Europa Star, JCK, Hampton's Magazine, Gotham Magazine, Vegas Magazine, Silicon Valley magazine and many others. eBay recently partnered with us for an exclusive, special sale for seven of the watches.

The collection has been composed of 140 watches and clocks owned or worn by 69 iconic celebrities and public figures. It may be the largest current collection of celebrity-owned watches in the world. It is constantly changing and is currently headlined by timepieces owned by some of the most legendary Hollywood actors and actresses, musicians, comedians, and entertainers:

The King, Elvis Presley. (Just sold)

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. (Just sold)

The King of Comedy, Jerry Lewis.

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. (Just sold)

President Jimmy Carter.

Hollywood icons Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Steve Martin, Red Skelton, Steve McQueen, Martin Sheen, Cicely Tyson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Burt Reynolds, Laurence Olivier, James Arness, Betty White, Olivia Newton-John, Bob Hope, Greta Garbo, Raquel Welch, Mickey Rooney, Jane Fonda, Joan and Melissa Rivers, and Katey Sagal.

Legendary musicians Johnny Cash, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Janet Jackson, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Elton John, Kenny Rogers, Harry Belafonte, ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora, Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie, Don Mclean, Mountain's Leslie West, and Hank Williams, Jr.

Sports great and soccer legend Pelé, heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk, Yankee Hall of Fame great Lefty Gomez, World Cup winning captain and soccer defensive legend Daniel Passarella, and Green Bay Packer Mike Bucchianeri along with the game ball, signed photo and watch from the college football "all star" Blue Gray Game in 1940.

Further filling the current collection are watches or clocks from King Edward VIII and the Duchess of Windsor, beloved Hollywood host Ed Sullivan, renowned illusionists Siegfried & Roy, Academy award-winning actresses Loretta Young and Doris Day, Whoopie Goldberg, Emmy award-winning actress Valerie Harper, Golden Globe winning actor Richard Chamberlain, Emmy award-winning journalist Larry King, Emmy award-winning actor and producer Jerry Weintraub, Comedian Louie Anderson, Phyllis McGuire of the chart-topping McGuire sisters, Ian McDonald multi-instrumentalist English rocker for King Crimson and Foreigner, Elvira Mistress of the Dark (Cassandra Peterson), fashion designer to the stars Nolan Miller, the watch worn by Sean Penn in Shanghai Surprise then owned by Beatle George Harrison, and a watch worn by multiple characters in the television series "For All Mankind."

It also includes rare watches given by heads of state: A prototype 18K gold Buren Microrotor gifted by His Royal Majesty Ibn Saud, former King of Saudi Arabia; a Felsa given by former Libyan Colonel and Head of State Muammar Al Qathafi; a Longines given by Highness Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa former Prime Minister of the State of Bahrain; a Baume & Mercier gifted by the King of Jordan. All three watches are new-old-stock in presentation shadow box frames with photos.

Recently sold was a watch given a handful of years after the Civil War concluded by the Vice President Elect to honor an Army commander who went on to receive the Medal of Honor.

This is a significant, exciting, and constantly changing new collection you won't want to miss! Stay tuned over the coming weeks for photos of other special pieces from the collection!