Cartier had another strong year at Watches & Wonders with a focus on their core strengths, including something unexpected in the form of a new Tank à Guichets within the Cartier Privé framework. This digital display was first debuted by the French brand in 1928, and has made sparing appearances in the near century since, most recently in 2005 as part of the Collection Privée Cartier Paris. This year, we’re getting a pair of Tank à Guichets designs across four new references, including one limited edition rendered in platinum. The design and execution from Cartier is as timeless as ever, with a deep amount of respect paid to the small details that make this unusual layout work.
The term Tank à Guichets translates to ticket window, a reference to the focused design that is limited to shaped apertures displaying the hours and minutes in digital form. Each is powered by a manually winding caliber 9755 MC that uses a jumping hour mechanism for the display. There are three mainline additions that use a symmetrical display with the hours on the top, and the minutes at the bottom. A fourth, limited edition example uses an asymmetrical design that rotates the hour display by 90 degrees, and the minute display by 45 degrees, this is the Oblique edition.
Jump hour movements are having a bit of a moment with multiple examples popping up this year already, but none capture the same magic that Cartier manages to find with their own historic take on the formula. This is a history and a design that’s been handled with great care, and the result is quite spellbinding. The finish on the dial plate is a fine vertical brush, with a polished chamfer defining the shape of the Tank case. It’s delicate in nature but makes a huge impact visually in a way that challenges convention.
Cartier is using platinum alongside yellow and rose gold for these watches for the cases that measure 37.6 x 24.8mm. The hand wound movement, which is managed via the crown at the top of the case, allows for a total case thickness of just 6mm. The watch wears just as well as you might imagine, but visually this watch makes a bigger impression than those numbers let on. This is a truly special expression of the Tank’s iconic design, and one that will undoubtedly connect with a new generation of enthusiasts in a way that brings the brand’s history to life.
The new Privé Tank à Guichets collection is priced from $47,700 for the rose and yellow gold references, and jumps to $55,000 in platinum. The limited edition Oblique model, which will see 200 examples produced, is priced at $61,000. Cartier
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