“Tank London” model
No. 9410 / 6688
18k yellow gold (750) wristwatch
Case: rectangular, screw-down case back with handwritten dedication ‘The Things Darling Dove Yours S. 23/5/63’, numbered with English hallmarks inside, typical of 1960s London manufacturing
Dial: patinated with Roman numerals, blued steel hands, railway minute track in the centre, signed
Movement: mechanical with manual winding, Côtes de Genève decoration, 18 jewels, adjusted to 3 positions, signed ‘Cartier Inc.’ Strap/Clasp: black leather strap with gold folding clasp numbered 0512. Dimensions: 23 x 31 mm. Gross weight: 36.5 g. 36.5 g
The Tank de Cartier, created in 1917, enjoyed a remarkable period in the 1960s, as evidenced by our example, which has been carefully preserved. This decade marked a special moment for Cartier London, which was producing pieces of exceptional quality, notably the famous Tank watches with movements based on a Swiss movement, the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre.
The 1960s represent a period when Cartier's watchmaking craftsmanship reached remarkable maturity. The cases were crafted with millimetre precision, the white dials contrasted elegantly with the Roman numerals, ours having acquired a beautiful patina, and the blued steel sword hands retained the purity of line that defines the Tank's identity. This period preceded the upheavals of the 1970s and the quartz crisis, which gives pieces from this era a special authenticity in the history of the company.
