The big two-tone Ballon Bleu. Automatic, worn, and priced for it.

Cartier is the house that made the wristwatch a shape rather than a circle: the Tank of 1917, the Tortue of 1912, the Tonneau of 1906, each a case with Roman numerals, blued sword hands and a cabochon in the crown. Cartier makes them in gold and in steel, in quartz and in mechanical, and on the pre-owned market the gold ones sit where a Rolex Datejust does in price and a step above it in how they read across a table.

The 42mm Ballon Bleu is the men’s size, and in steel and pink gold it is the version that reads as jewellery across a table; the 1847 MC inside is Cartier’s workhorse automatic. Rebag’s Good grade is its honest tier: moderate scratches, dings and wear, described on the listing as a watch that has lived a full life. That is why it is the cheapest automatic Ballon Bleu here, and why the copy says to ask for close-up photographs of every ding before buying rather than after.

Rebag gives the size as 42mm, the movement as automatic, and the condition as Good with moderate scratches, dings and wear on case and band. Its rows do not name the gold; the pink gold bezel, crown guard and bracelet centre links are from the photograph. No reference or accessories are stated; W6920095 and the 1847 MC are the catalogue match, marked confirm. Water resistance is Cartier’s figure for the model, marked confirm.

Rebag authenticates in-house and is not a Cartier authorised dealer, and Amazon adds its 30-day return window. Ask for the reference and the numbers on the caseback, close-up photographs of the wear, and when it was last serviced. Nothing here was measured on the watch.

This unit is sold by Rebag through Amazon Luxury Stores, authenticated by the seller with Amazon’s 30-day return window on top; it is one piece, and when it sells the listing goes away, so the second button opens the live search for Ballon Bleus.

Gold Cartiers have resold close to what pre-owned buyers paid, sometimes more, sometimes less; that is a pattern, not a promise, and nothing here is investment advice.