164 Cartier Very Rare and Charming, Tank Arrondie, Wristwatch in Platinum, With Red Roman Numbers

Estimate: €30,000 –⁠ 60,000

Model: Tank Arrondie
Case Material: Platinum
Bracelet Material: Platinum
Year: 1980s
Movement: Manual
Case N°: 960 411 003
Dimensions: 24 × 30 mm
Signed: Dial, movement and case

Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making which became the stepping-stone for the brand to experiment in form. Cartier introduced the Tank in 1917. The design of the Tank was inspired by the Renault FT-17 tanks: Cartier took the look of this tank’s treads and applied it to the lugs, which were integrated via brancards into the case itself. In 1977, Cartier proponed a brand new version of the Tank, named Tank Arrondie, characterized by curved “brancards”—this peculiar shape looks like a compromise between a rectangle (traditional) and an ellipse (innovative). The lot here offered is this kind of “new” Tank whose rectangular curved case has been made in platinum and strikingly well preserved. With a bracelet closed by a platinum Cartier deployante, the dial of this timepiece has an engine-turned decoration with uncommon red Roman numbers that match perfectly with its red steel spade hands and the ruby cabochon on the crown with any signs of use. Platinum watches produced by Cartier are extremely rare, moreover, only a few of them can boast the peculiarity of the red indexes and hands, in fact, they are the most sought after and appreciated by the collectors.