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Cartier Tank Louis 81086 - 18K Yellow Gold Diamond Bezel

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Details
Tank Louis, Built Heavy
The Tank Louis is the formal benchmark for the rectangular watch, and the design has needed almost no revision in a century. What changes between examples is the execution, and this one was specified about as far up as Cartier took it. Case, bezel and bracelet are all 18K yellow gold, and the bezel is set with diamonds, which moves the watch out of the category of a dress watch on a strap and into something closer to a bracelet that happens to keep time. The white Roman dial and blued steel hands hold the line on tradition while everything around them does not.
The Bracelet Is The Rare Part
Most Tank Louis examples turn up on leather. The integrated gold bracelet on this one is the uncommon element, and it changes how the watch behaves entirely. It runs straight out of the case with no lug break, so the gold reads continuously from one side of the wrist to the other, and it gives the watch a weight a strap version never approaches. If you have only ever worn a Tank on leather, this is a different watch.
An Honest Look At The Setting
Condition is good overall. The case, dial and solid gold bracelet all present well. The diamonds on the bezel are high quality stones, but they appear to have been reset at some point and the setting work is uneven from stone to stone. As with every watch we offer, this piece has been verified as mechanically sound and is ready to wear.
For A Tank Worn Loudly
This is for the buyer who loves the proportions of the Tank and has no interest in being discreet about it. Quartz keeps it practical, so it can sit in a drawer for a month and still be right when it comes out. Everything else about the watch is maximal, a full gold build with a diamond bezel and a bracelet most collectors have never had on the wrist. It is a Tank meant to be noticed.
Key Specs
Reference: 81086
Model: Tank Louis
Year: 1980s
Movement: Quartz
Case Size: 23x30mm
Bezel: 18K Yellow Gold with Brilliant Diamonds
Bracelet: 18K Yellow Gold Integrated
Bracelet Length: 7in
Dial: White Roman
Metal: 18K Yellow Gold
Weight: 83.5g
SKU: 1479