Cartier Tank 'Must De Cartier'

There are certain watch designs that just resonate throughout the years and remain evergreen despite changing trends and tastes. 

The Cartier Tank, in all its one hundred-plus years of production, is one such design. Whether finished in gold (yellow, pink, or white), platinum, stainless steel, or vermeil; whether Française, Chinoise, Americaine, or Normale; the Tank by Cartier is one watch that truly deserves to be called ‘iconic.’

Cartier introduced the Tank in 1917, with a run of six pieces — given, or so the legend goes, to American General Joseph Pershing and his staff. Its design was said to be inspired by the Renault FT-17 tanks Cartier glimpsed on the battlefield of the Great War. (Cartier supposedly took the look of the Renault tank's treads and applied it to the lugs, which were integrated via brancards into the case itself.) That first run of six pieces increased to thirty-three by 1920, and by the end of the 20th century, that number stood well in the thousands. In sheer volume alone, the Tank — in all its various models — is Cartier's largest line of watches. 

In 1977, Cartier debuted the Must de Cartier watch line as a lower-priced alternative to the more premium solid-gold offerings such as the Tank Louis Cartier. Housed in vermeil cases, adorned with power-suit dial tones and equipped with quartz or hand-wound movements, they reappeared in the lineup in 2021 — much to the delight of watch lovers everywhere.

This example from Cartier's current collection, a Reference WSTA0072, is as minty as they come and features a 25.5mm x 34mm rectangular stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal and the signature sapphire cabochon crown. The dial is an exercise in restraint, displaying a black lacquered canvas for a polished ‘sword’ handset and the Cartier signature alone.

Powered by a high-autonomy quartz movement from Cartier, paired to a signed, black alligator leather strap with a steel 'Ardillon' pin buckle, and accompanied by its complete factory kit, this Tank surely must be one of the best releases from the La Grande Maison in the past decade!

Despite being a purveyor of haute joaillerie, Cartier has had a long tradition of making watches.

It started in 1907, when founder Louis Cartier made what was one of the first wristwatches for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont. In the following years, the brand made a name for itself with its most famous wristwatch, the Tank, in all its multitudinous forms.

Cartier introduced the Tank in 1917 — which was supposedly inspired by the Renault FT-17 tanks seen on the battlefields of World War I — with a run of six pieces. (According to legend, these were given to American General John J. Pershing and his staff.) Cartier took the look of the Renault tank's treads and applied it to the watch’s lugs, which were integrated via brancards into the case itself. That first run of six pieces increased to thirty-three by 1920, and by the end of the 20th Century, that number stood well in the hundreds of thousands. Indeed, in sheer volume alone, the Tank — in all its various models — is Cartier's largest line of watches.

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.