Rare French/Swiss gold and enamel chronograph watch Circa 1922

Gold chronograph watch by Cartier/European Watch & Clock Co., Inc.
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A rare French/Swiss gold and enamel open faced keyless lever chronograph watch with register, circa 1922. Made for the Yacht Club de France. The watch has a damascened movement with lever escapement, 29 jewels, a bi metallic compensation balance, and a partially visible chronograph mechanism on the backplate. It is signed by the European Watch & Clock Co. Inc. The silvered dial, signed by Cartier, features black Arabic numerals, two subsidiary dials for constant seconds, a 30-minute register and blued steel Breguet hands.
The 18 Carat gold case has a white champlevé enamel border on the bezel and a legend that reads Yacht Club de France. The case back depicts a sailing boat with sails in opaque white enamel and gold banding against a blue guilloché enamel ground. The sea is represented by wave form engine turned, while the sky features vertical linear engine turned. Additionally, there is a circular cartouche with white enamel initials (VH) beneath a blue and white enamel flag. The chronograph can be activated via the crown and it has a hoop form bow. The case back is numbered 12274 and bears French gold marks.
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Diameter: 48.5 mm
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Signed: Cartier and European Watch & Clock Co., Inc.
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The movement is running, but the chronograph is not operating correctly as the 30-minute register is not resetting to zero. Additionally, the dial has tarnishing on the edge and scuffs in the centre, while the case has light scuffs throughout and scratches on the enamel.
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Founded in 1847, Cartier has been a dominant force in the luxury market, known for its visionary designs and well-crafted masterpieces. This particular piece is a rare example that combines a decoratively enamelled case with a chronograph complication, showcasing Cartier’s sophisticated and elaborate designs. In addition to luxury objects, Cartier also formed partnerships with elite institutions, including the Yacht Club de France, and created a timepiece to commemorate this prestigious nautical club. Interestingly, the word ‘Yacht’ is misspelt as ‘Yacth’ on the watch’s bezel.
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The European Watch and Clock Co. Inc. was established in the 1920s as a collaboration between Cartier and Edmond Jaeger of the LeCoultre & Cie watch factory. Cartier worked with various watch movement manufacturers, including Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, and Movado, but many of their top products featured movements from the European Watch & Clock Company, which were manufactured at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Le Sentier factory in Switzerland. The watch cases were made in Paris, Geneva, London, and New York, with each branch responsible for its production. However, the French branch also exported its watches to other stores. In 1930, Jaeger partnered with Jacques-David LeCoultre to form Jaeger-LeCoultre. In the 1920s, Henri Rodanet, the technical director of the Etablissements Ed. Jaeger, developed the Calibre Duoplan, one of the smallest movements with high accuracy.