A Cartier Les Must from the 1970s in gold plated finish, its case worked all over in a fine crosshatched guilloche that runs the full height of the body. The pattern catches the light in narrow bands as the lighter turns, broken by plain vertical lines that divide the case into panels, and the same weave continues over the hood so that cap and body read as one continuous surface rather than two separate parts.

The striking wheel sits low on the body under a retractable hood, out of sight until the lid is raised, which was the point of the original design: a luxury object that worked like a tool rather than displayed itself as one. That combination of oval case, godrons and a hidden wheel came from Robert Hocq’s original Silver Match drawing, and this lighter carries the shape that made the Cartier lighter, and then Les Must de Cartier itself, into one of the first pieces of luxury that was also genuinely functional. Lifting the hood and turning the wheel is still the whole action, nothing more to learn and nothing to go wrong with regular use.

This one shows the wear you would expect from a lighter that was actually carried and used rather than kept aside, and it is graded good on that basis. There is no box or paperwork with it. It has been serviced through our workshop and comes ready to fill and light, at home in a pocket as it would have been fifty years ago.

– Brand: Cartier
– Model: Les Must
– Material: Gold Plated
– Serial Number: 126861
– Accessories: No Box & Papers
– Year: 1970s
– Condition: Good

Please refer to the “Specifications” tab for detailed dimensions and approximate weight of the lighter.