Tank Cintrée | Special Edition | Platinum

This is one of six examples of the Cartier Tank Cintrée created for Le Paris Watch Club in 2022. It features a platinum case that is 23mm wide, 46.3mm tall and 7.2mm tall at its widest point. The rich, ink blue dial is complemented by exploded white Arabic indices and a ruby cabochon. The combination of colours brings to mind the French tricolore. Inside is the manually wound calibre 8971 MC.

Released in 1921, the Tank Cintrée has an extraordinary history born of the Roaring Twenties, capturing the glamour and exuberance of those heady times in its dramatic form. Also worth noting is the fact that the story of the Tank Cintrée began at the Paris branch of Cartier.
 
Instantly recognisable by its ergonomic curved and elongated form, the line has over the years been a canvas for a great deal of diversity, with variations ranging from font and size of numerals on the dial to differences in case dimensions and even smaller differences in the styles of screws on the flanks. The depth of the catalogue makes the Tank Cintrée ripe for enthusiasts who enjoy the finer details of design.
 
This example is one of a six-piece limited series created for Le Paris Watch Club, a social group of enthusiasts that was formed in 2017. The members worked with Cartier on the design of this Tank Cintrée, with the combination of the ink blue dial, white Arabic numerals, and red cabochon meant to evoke the French tricolore. The series was produced in 2022.   
 
The richness of the shade of ink blue means the dial appears as black at first, only revealing its true nature in certain light conditions. The effect is created by layering blue lacquer atop a sunburst, galvanic black base. Consequently, the dial goes from a blue centre to a shade of plum towards the peripheries. It is a shade specially requested by members of Le Paris Watch Club, which was repeated in a second collaboration with Cartier.
 
The exploded Arabic numerals, achieved in a high contrast shade of white, is vaguely reminiscent of the mythical Fred Astaire Tank Cintrée. Further in lies the chemin de fer chapter of minutes. At the bottom of the dial is the ‘Swiss Made’ mark. 
 
The platinum case, 23mm wide and 46.3mm tall is close in its dimensions to the original iteration of the Tank Cintrée from 1921. At its widest point in the centre, the case stands 7.2mm tall, narrowing progressively and substantially at the lugs. It is a well-considered extrapolation of the design of the Tank and feels wholly natural to the form of the wrist.
 
The upper surface of the exaggerated brancards is mirror-polished, while the space in between them is satinated. The midcase, which has a polished facet, is horizontally satinated with two screws on each side holding the caseback in place. The crown wears a ruby cabochon. The lugs are drilled through, another thoughtful detail inspired by vintage examples of the line. They feature a custom-made black alligator-grained leather strap, with purple Saffiano lining. The strap is secured by a platinum pin buckle.
 
The curved case features laser engravings of the brand mark, its status as a special edition, the name of the social club it was made for as well the serial number out of six. It also includes the country of original and precious metal hallmarks.
 
The watch is powered by the manually wound calibre 8971 MC, an ultra-thin calibre based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 846. This connection has historical parallels, as the calibre 123 used in the original 1921 Tank Cintrée was produced by Jaeger, thanks to the special relationship between Edmund Jaeger and Louis Cartier.
 
The watch comes with its full set, which includes special, slim inner and outer boxes requested by Le Paris Watch Club as well as a folio with historical information about the Tank Cintrée as well as design details for this watch. In addition is the certificate of origin, stamped at the historic Cartier boutique at 13 Rue de la Paix in Paris, where the watch was originally retailed.
 
This Tank Cintrée is firmly grounded in the brand’s crucial history in Paris, acknowledging it as the birthplace of this iteration of the Tank’s design in 1921. It is an elegant connection that further enriches the subtle and beautiful form of the watch. 

Closer look

Condition

This Cartier Tank Cintrée is in excellent overall condition. The case and lugs show very light superficial marks, consistent with minimal wear over time and only on the very surface of the material, more specifically light contact marks on the left polished brancard. The ink blue dial, which radiates tones of blue, purple, and plum, shows no signs of imperfections, as do the hand and cabochon. The hallmarks and engravings on the caseback and buckle are crisp and well defined.

Warranty

The watch comes with a lifetime guarantee of authenticity from A Collected Man as well as the remaining duration of the extended manufacturer warranty from Cartier, which runs until August 2030.