Vintage
Foversta's post highlights the return of a historically significant Cartier coin pocket watch to its original Rue de la Paix boutique. This article details the watch's unique engravings, which tie it to a pivotal moment in world history, specifically the signing of Germany's surrender in WWII. The post captures the emotional and historical resonance of the watch's journey back to Cartier.
Could it be Loius Mountbatten aka 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma who was Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command in WW2? He had earlier been Chief of Combined Operations and heavily involved in the run-up to the D-day landings, and would clearly have been well known to Bedell Smith colinwillsher
In my own research, I found that the two never met and although they certainly must have know each other they were not close. At the end of the war, Mountbatten was in charge of British forces in the Pacific (as you say). Hodinkee also suggested a French general, but that too was unlikely. As I mentioned in the original post, the source of the watch was domestic (ie American) and I believe Louis was Louis Marx, an American toy magnate who was a personal friend of Beddel Smith and Eisenhower. JB
I had not seen your original post. Certainly given the close relationship between Smith and Marx, it would be logical for him tb be the Louis. But Smith and Mountbatten had met. In D K R Crosswell's book Beetle; The Life of General Walter Bedell Smith page 12 records Churchill sending Mounbatten to the US to brief the President and senior US military personnel on the developments in special and combined operations, and it must be likely that Smith would have been among those he met. More conclus
This thread is active on the Cartier forum with 4 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.
Join the Discussion →
