Cartier’s design language has always been about shape rather than size, and few creations express that better than the Baignoire Allongée. Introduced in the 1960s as an evolution of the classic oval Baignoire, the Allongée stretches that form to elegant extremes.

This reference 2605, executed in 18k yellow gold, distills that legacy into a watch of effortless grace. Its elongated case flows naturally with the wrist, framed by a domed crystal that seems to magnify the dial beneath. The guilloché surface is animated by oversized, asymmetrical numerals that twist and stretch to follow the curvature of the case; an artistic flourish that turns timekeeping into sculpture.

The blued-steel hands and sapphire cabochon crown provide a familiar Cartier signature, while the slim case houses a precise quartz movement that keeps the profile refined and the experience carefree. For a design so dramatic, the practicality feels almost subversive: the beauty is pure Cartier, the convenience entirely modern.

Fitted with a supple black alligator strap and signed yellow gold Cartier pin buckle, this example dates to circa 2000 and remains in excellent condition throughout.

The Baignoire Allongée 2605 doesn’t need to impress through excess where its strength lies in the tension between form and restraint. Every curve and numeral reminds you that Cartier never designed watches to follow convention, but to redefine it.