Cartier

The Tank à Guichet is one of the most unusual and charismatic designs ever created by Cartier. Originally introduced in 1928, it was an Art Deco interpretation of the classic Tank model with an almost completely closed dial and only a jumping hour and wandering minute display. The technical and design minimalism made it possible to create a convincing, memorable image that was highly appreciated by people with excellent taste. From then on, Cartier produced the Tank à Guichet for several decades - probably until the 1960s, albeit in very small numbers. It is extremely rare and almost impossible to find one on the market. Nevertheless, the design has achieved the status of a Cartier style icon. in 1996, the Tank à Guichet reappeared, but in a very small special edition of three watches in platinum and three in yellow gold with a crown at 12 o'clock. Historically, there was another version with the crown at the classic 3 o'clock position. This design variant was used in the next limited edition in 1997, which was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the brand, and this watch is part of that edition.

The watch was produced in an edition of 150 pieces in 950 platinum and was given a slightly larger case of 26 x 37 mm compared to historical watches, dictated by the emerging trend towards the popularity of larger wristwatches (it was in 1997 that the Vendôme group, which included Cartier, bought Panerai, the standard watch size of this brand was 44 mm, almost unimaginable in earlier times). Of course, the 1997 Tank à Guichet is still perceived today as a modest size, in keeping with the vintage Art Deco style of this edition. The movement that animated the displays of this model was based on a movement-blank supplied by Piaget, also belonging to the Vendôme group.

The Tank à Guichet 150th Anniversary Limited Edition in platinum is part of the exclusive series of Cartier Tank à Guichet watches, probably the rarest of all Cartier Tanks. This design is a modern reinterpretation of the famous idea of the Art Deco watch with closed dial, jumping hours and wandering minutes developed by Cartier in 1928. The unmistakable look of this watch is emphasized by the rarest winding crown, which is adorned with a ruby instead of the classic sapphire. Therefore, the Cartier Tank à Guichet 150th Anniversary Limited Edition is an extremely attractive purchase for the collector who wishes to acquire an impressive, rare and important wristwatch, the rare Tank à Guichet edition in platinum. The ability to create watches with attractive and distinctive designs is one of Cartier’s strengths, and this watch is a clear confirmation of this achievement. It is a classic collectible, especially as the production of Tank à Guichet watches has been discontinued since 2004 and the number of pieces was very small, which undoubtedly contributes to the appeal of this watch.