Start with the caseback and any original papers. A shorter case reference and a longer commercial reference may both be relevant. Enter the complete number, including letters, leading zeros and punctuation. Do not open the watch yourself to look for a number.

A reference identifies a model, case design or commercial configuration. A serial number identifies an individual watch. A case reference may be associated with several commercial references, so the caseback number alone may not establish the original dial, metal or bracelet.

No universal prefix decoder covers Cartier’s full history. Many recent commercial references use eight-character codes beginning with W, while other formats also occur. Letter patterns can help organise research, but specifications must be checked against documentation for the complete reference.

A reference can help identify a model and, where evidence exists, its introduction or production period. It cannot establish the exact manufacture year of an individual watch. The results separate reference-level dates from dates reported for particular examples.

Introduced means a documented or specialist-reported launch. Production period requires reference-specific evidence for its boundaries. An open end is not treated as “still in production”. Not established means the available evidence is insufficient, not that the watch is current or discontinued.

Retail listing records availability observed at a retailer on the review date. New old stock may remain on sale after manufacture ends; a sold-out listing does not prove discontinuation. Limited editions are not automatically assigned a one-year production run.

Example dates come from the linked dealer or auction description and may be approximate or refer to papers or sale. A collection’s launch or end date is not automatically applied to every reference in that collection. Case references can also cover multiple configurations.

Use original papers and service history to investigate your own watch, and ask Cartier what information is available for the individual piece. Source-reported and conflicting dates are labelled; unsupported years are left unassigned. This is a reference research aid, not a serial-number year decoder or an authentication service.

No. It does not convert serial numbers into years or authenticate a watch. Dated papers and service records provide context, but a sale date need not be the manufacturing date. Matching numbers also cannot establish that a dial, bezel, bracelet or gem setting is original.

Some references have detailed source documentation; others survive only in an archive listing or auction description. We include useful reference listings while making those limits clear. Missing details are not inferred from a neighbouring reference, and conflicting reports are shown as such.

Only manufacturer documentation can establish a manufacturer specification. Dealer and auction dimensions describe what those sources report. Width, case length, diameter and lug-to-lug length are different measurements; consult the source description before comparing them.

A missing result says nothing about authenticity. Check that you entered a complete reference rather than an individual serial number. If it still does not appear, send us the reference and clear photographs of the watch and its caseback through the enquiry below.

You can still enquire. Tell us the condition, what is included and any known service history. We will review the details and discuss whether it is a watch we can purchase.