While graffiting a vintage Cartier timepiece may be considered akin to blasphemy in the horological world, Travis W. Simon’s customisation seems to have resonated with at least a few. Speaking to the repetitive nature of many a desk job, the vintage Cartier Santos Dumont reads “F*ck 9-5” in red script across the dial.
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The customisation was initially commissioned in 2013 by fashion retailer Moda Operandi, with the timepiece sourced by vintage specialist Foundwell. The customised Travis W. Simon Cartier was sold as part of an online auction for the PUNK: Chaos to Couture exhibition at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The timepiece Simon’s explicit statement appears on is an 18-carat gold Cartier Santos Dumont, Ref. 78097 that dates back to the 1980s. For the project, the 25mm watch was disassembled for painting before being put back together and outfitted with a leather strap with a gold plated pin buckle (in lieu of the houndstooth strap it was initially sold with).
The Travis W. Simon F*ck 9-5 Watch was listed for auction on Watches of Knightsbridge with a recommended selling price of $9000 to $18000 AUD (£5000 to £10000) and sold for approx. $24200 AUD (£13000) on 13th November 2021.
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Words by AR Staff
