Cartier’s Mystery clocks are lavish objects that marry art, mechanics and history. Created by clockmaker Maurice Couet for Louis Cartier, they are the quintessential Cartier clock. Despite their fame, the Mystery clocks are exceedingly rare, only a few dozen were made over the span of a century. I was fortunate to be able to examine a Model A Mystery clock, owned by Sir Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala no less. My photos of the clock are on the Cartier forum I moderate.

An impressive range of Mystery clocks will be on show at the Cartier Time Art exhibition that opens at Marina Bay Sands Art Science Museum in Singapore next week on December 14.

– SJX