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Cartier Tank — Wood "Spider" Dial

Details

The Story

Here's a vintage must de Cartier Tank manual wind with a rare brown wood dial from the late 70s, early 80s. Keeps great time and is fully functional. Measurements include a 23x30 mm tank case size and 18mm lug width. It's on a brown leather strap with matching original gold buckle that compliments the watch really well. 18K yellow gold electroplated case. The case and caseback are in great condition. No numerals on the dial. In certain light, you can see the dial have a \"spider\" effect\", meaning the dial has some cracks due to age. Original blue cabochon crown. As you can see in the light, the dial has a \"spider\" effect. The crystal is free from any scratches or marks. Hard to come by these red dials as most of them are a lemon or black color. All parts are original including the dial, crown, movement, and caseback. Both the dial and case are in great cosmetic, untouched condition.
Key Specs
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.