page transition image
Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Cartier Tank Solo - Monogram Dial

Details

A Patterned Twist On Tradition

The Tank Solo reference 2716 is a modern iteration of the world's most enduring watch design, but this specific example features a dial rarely seen in the standard catalog. Instead of the typical Roman numerals and railroad track, this dial is finished with a repeating "Cartier" logotype motif. This subtle textured pattern serves as a backdrop for white Arabic numerals, giving the watch a more contemporary and playful energy while maintaining the iconic rectangular silhouette. It is a configuration for the collector who values the Tank's history but wants a version that breaks from the predictable layout.

A Modern Minimalist Icon

The Tank Solo was designed to be a more accessible, robust entry into the Cartier family, and the 2716 in stainless steel captures that objective perfectly. At 23x30mm, it retains the classic "Louis Cartier" proportions while utilizing a flat-top case design that sits low and sharp on the wrist. Because it utilizes a high-quality quartz movement, the watch is the ultimate grab-and-go piece, requiring no winding and offering total reliability. It represents the bridge between Cartier's early 20th-century roots and the streamlined, utilitarian luxury of the 2000s.

Clean Steel And Original Hardware

This example is in very good condition, with the stainless steel case showing no notable scratches or dings and retaining its original factory finish. The "Motif" dial is excellent and perfectly clean, with no marks or degradation to the patterned surface. The sapphire crystal is flawless, and the watch comes equipped with its original Cartier deployant buckle on a leather strap. Mechanically, the quartz movement is running strong after passing our test bench, ensuring accurate timekeeping and a smooth ownership experience.

The Versatile Daily Tank

This is a watch for the person who wants a Cartier Tank that works in every possible scenario. The stainless steel construction and unique Arabic numeral dial make it feel less formal than a gold Tank Louis, yet it retains enough Cartier DNA to remain the most sophisticated object in the room. It is a durable, stylish, and increasingly hard-to-find variation of the Solo line that offers a unique visual texture without sacrificing the timeless appeal of the Tank.

Key Specs

Reference: 2716

Model: Tank Solo SM

Year: 2000s

Movement: Quartz

Case Size: 23x30mm

Bezel: Stainless Steel

Bracelet: Leather with Original Deployant Buckle

Dial: Silver Cartier Motif (Arabic Numerals)

Metal: Stainless Steel

SKU: 188

History

Louis Cartier designed the Tank in 1917, inspired by the aerial view of a Renault FT tank on the Western Front — its parallel "rails" mimicking the tracks, its rectangular body echoing the vehicle's profile. The watch was introduced in 1919 and immediately claimed its place as one of the most significant case designs in watchmaking history.

The Tank has never gone out of production, and its list of admirers reads like a century of cultural history: Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Princess Diana, Yves Saint Laurent. It is the watch of the intelligentsia, the creative, the quietly powerful.

The Tank Must — introduced in the 1970s in vermeil (gold-plated silver) — democratized the design, bringing the silhouette to a new generation. The Tank Louis Cartier in 18-karat gold represents the elevated end. The Tank Solo in stainless steel is the accessible entry point. All three carry the same essential idea: that a rectangle of precious metal can be more beautiful than any complication.