page transition image
Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Must de Cartier Tank — Black Dial

Details

The Story

Here's a vintage must de Cartier tank manual wind with a black dial from the late 70s, early 80s. Keeps great time and is fully functional. Measurements include a 23x30mm tank case size and 18mm lug width. It's on a black lizard leather strap with matching 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. The dial has some marks and dust towards the 6 a clock as you could see in the photos. Original blue cabochon crown. As you can see in the light, the dial has a \"spider\" effect. The lacquered dial has some cracks, due to age. The crystal is free from any scratches or marks. 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.