18ct white gold diamond set Ceinture bracelet watch. Made 1970s

The Ceinture was so named because the case is shaped like a belt’s buckle (ceinture is the French word for belt) with a very interesting square case featuring corners that appear to be “cut.” The winding crown, usually quite prominent and set with a blue sapphire – Cartier’s signature element – is completely flat here, residing in a slot in the watch bezel without its usual sapphire cabochon. This unique feature is one that Cartier calls its remontoir imperdable (“captive winding”).