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An incredibly rare opportunity to purchase an antique Dunhill Tallboy lighter manufactured under a license from Cartier. This hard-to-find vintage piece is a prized item for any significant lighter collection.
Dunhill manufactured these lighters under a Cartier license starting around 1933, continuing for two years until 1935, with the introduction of the Dunhill Tallboy petrol lighter.The underlying lighter mechanism and design relied on an earlier Cartier patent. The lighter has patent No. 405122 under the lid which is a French patent number originally granted to Cartier in 1932. The patentcovers the specialized "constant pressure" flint system and the dual-tank fuel mechanism, which allowed the Tallboy to hold its fluid significantly longer than standard lighters of the era.
Because production under this specific cross-brand license was so limited, these pieces are exceptionally rare and highly sought after.This Dunhill Tallboy's signature layout—a single block of metal with a roller or wheel mechanism—directly inspired later iconic lighters like the Dunhill Rollalite and Dunhill Rollagas.
Because of the short manufacturing window and the prestigious cross-licensing between Alfred Dunhill and Cartier, this is an exceptionally rare and valuable piece for vintage lighter enthusiasts.
This lighter has a gold-plated diamond point or hobnail pattern.This textured engraving style became so definitive for the brand that Dunhill later resurrected it as a signature texture for their famous gas-powered Rollagas lighters in the late 1950s and 1960s. Finding this texture on a true 1930s petrol Tallboy is much rarer!
The"brassing" (places where the gold plating has worn away through decades of handling, revealing the base brass metal underneath) on this special lighter is limited to the top and bottom. The diamond points are still crisp and the gold coverage is complete! This wonderful and rare 90+ year old Dunhill-Cartier lighter comes from the estate of an avid collector of authentic luxury lighters.
