Manufacturer: Cartier Year: 2021 Reference No: 2718 Case No: No. 65 of 150 Model Name: Tank Cintrée Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 9780MC, 19 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Cartier buckle Dimensions: 46mm x 23mm Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed. Accessories: Accompanied by Cartier International Warranty dated March 7th, 2022, blank Certificate of Origin, red leather Cartier presentation box, Cartier suede pouch, original sales invoice, and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Known as the “Jeweler of Kings, and the King of Jewelers” Cartier has a long and storied history, and their commitment to creating breath-taking and innovative designs is beautifully displayed in the Tank Cintrée. One of their most enduring timepieces, the Tank was introduced in 1917, and since then Cartier has produced variants of the model playing with proportions of the bezel, case shape, and dial configuration. Designed near the end of World War I, the inspiration for the Tank’s ground-breaking design came from the top view of the very first Renault military tank vehicle deployed that same year. In 1921, Cartier launched the Grand Tank Cintrée with an aesthetically pleasing long, slender, and gracefully arching case. At the time, the model was the largest and boldest adaptation with a modern, fresh design on the rectangular shape and case dimensions of the original Cartier Tank wristwatch. Today, the Tank Cintrée is incredibly popular, having inspired modern successors in the “Collection Privée, Cartier Paris” series in the early 2000s, to exciting limited edition variants in the present day.
The present limited edition Tank Cintrée was launched in 2021 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the model, and closely resembles the early 20th century aesthetic of the original. The new edition resembles the production model issued in 2018 with a few slight differences, including Breguet-style hands, elongated Roman numerals and no “Swiss Made” designation found at 6 o’clock.
The present watch is in like new condition with its original factory stickers to the caseback, and numbered 65 of a limited number of 150 timepieces. It comes complete with warranty, presentation box and original sale invoice.
With the Constitution of 1848 came a new standard for luxury in France. Founded one year prior by Louis-Francois Cartier, the house of Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making. This incredibly expensive material became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms and attitude. It helped men move from pocket watches to wristwatches, effectively making the watch much more functional and prominent in a man's overall wardrobe.
Cartier did not only touch on functionality. Inspired by a commissioned painting by George Barbier featuring a black panther at the feet of an elegantly bejeweled woman, Cartier began incorporating wild animals in his designs—most notably, Cartier Panthère rings, bangle bracelets and watches. Yet it wasn't until the late 1960s that the house of Cartier debuted their iconic yellow and rose gold LOVE collection, which includes the famous bracelet that only a special screwdriver can open.
