Best of Cartier at Watches & Wonders 2025 – from Tank à Guichets to the leaping Panthère bangle
Borna BošnjakCartier’s path to mainstream watchmaking recognition is a curious one. It was a brand that was always well-respected by both those who knew nothing about watches, and those who were deep into the hobby. And yet, those casual watch fans were the ones that most often disregarded them as just “the brand that makes the Tank“. Over the last few years, that perspective has fully shifted, which is surely one of the reasons why Cartier has been happy to experiment with shapes new and old. The brand’s foci for this year’s Watches and Wonders are a great show of that, with a legend being revived, alongside some quality of life improvements in its classical daily wearers, and plenty of haute horlogerie meets haute joaillerie goodness too.
Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets
Let’s get the watch that will likely be on many people’s “best of” lists as the fair concludes. The new Tank à Guichets joins Cartier’s exclusive Privé line with four references, three of which are non-limited, but don’t let that fool you into thinking you’ll be able to pick one up. Available in yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum, the non-limited trio closely resembles the original Tank à Guichets from 1928, with its 12 o’clock crown and jumping hours/dragging minutes display, though it’s the fourth model that’s perhaps most curious. It switches the orientation of the numerals to face the right side of the watch, in a limited run of 200 pieces that are not likely to last.
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Privé Tank à Guichets |
| Case Dimensions | 24.8mm (W) x 6mm (T) x 37.6mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 18k yellow gold, 18k rose gold, platinum |
| Water Resistance | Non water-resistant |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire aperture crystals |
| Dial | Brushed front, hours and minutes apertures |
| Strap | Coloured alligator leather strap, case-matching pin buckle |
| Movement | 9755 MC, manually wound |
| Functions | Jumping hours, dragging minutes |
| Availability | Enquire at your local Cartier boutique Platinum variant with asymmetric display limited to 200 pieces |
| Price | US$47,700 (gold) US$55,500 (platinum) US$61,200 (platinum, asymmetric) |
Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Automatic
The Tank Louis Cartier is easily the most effortlessly elegant of all the Tank models. With slim, rounded brancards outlining its rectangular case shape, the latest Tank LC doesn’t seem to be all that different except for its new sunray textured dials. The real upgrade hides beneath the solid caseback in the form of the Calibre 1899 MC, the most traditional and recognisable of all the different Tank models. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a self-winding movement in the Tank LC, something like 50 years, though, I wouldn’t worry about this changing the formula too much. It’s only 2mm wider and thicker, and 5mm taller than the extant “Large” manual-winder, and you can read more about the new Tank Louis Cartier Automatic here.
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Tank Louis Cartier Automatic |
| Case Dimensions | 27.75mm (D) x 8.18mm (T) x 38.1mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Yellow gold, rose gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Flinqué enamel |
| Strap | Matte grey or brown alligator leather, case-matching pin buckle |
| Movement | Calibre 1899 MC, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | US$14,900 |
Cartier Panthère de Cartier
The Panthère has enjoyed revived interest in recent times, but mostly in its less elaborate variants – think steel, or “just” yellow gold. But Cartier knows that it’s a timeless brand, and that pretty much anything it comes out with will be met with oohs and aahs, and so we were treated to a small selection of gem-set and optionally lacquered Panthère models for W&W 2025. The hero piece is certainly the fully set Medium model with lacquered stripes akin to that of a big cat – even though panthers technically have spots, being melanistic leopards or jaguars, but I digress. It more than makes up for it with its smattering of spessartite gemstones that give it unique warmth, and if that’s a bit too blingy for you, you can go for one of the other three sizes where the gem-setting stops at the case.
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Panthère de Cartier |
| Case Dimensions | 20mm (W) x 6mm (T) x 25mm (LTL) (Mini) 22mm (W) x 6.05mm (T) x 30.3mm (LTL) (Small) 26.7mm (W) x 6.8mm (T) x 36.5mm (LTL) (Medium) |
| Case material | 18k rose gold or 18k yellow gold, semi-diamond-set 18k rose gold, lacquered set with diamonds, spessartites (Medium only) |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Black enamel on 18k gold |
| Bracelet | Case-matching five-link bracelet, butterfly clasp |
| Movement | Quartz |
| Power Reserve | N/A |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$35,100 (Mini) US$44,600 (Small, semi-set) US$54,000 (Medium, semi-set) POA (Medium, full-set) |
Cartier Panthère Jewellery Watch
If the Panthère de Cartier didn’t quite have enough big cat for you, Cartier has you covered with this wild Panthère bangle. Taking on the shape of the Reflection introduced last year, the small watch side curves around your wrist to become a leaping panther stretching its paws out towards you. It’s available in yellow or white gold flavours, with the former limiting itself to a diamond-set bezel, but with a watch (?) like this, you may as well go all out. And all-out it goes, with a beautiful diamond-setting technique that disappears towards the hinge of the bangle, with the panther getting emerald eyes and onyx spots. See, they’re spots – Cartier knows what a panther looks like.
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Panthère Jewellery Watch |
| Case Dimensions | 150mm, 160mm or 170mm circumference |
| Case material | 18k yellow gold, diamonds, tsavorites, onyx, black lacquer 18k white gold, diamonds, emeralds, onyx |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black (yellow gold) Diamond-set (white gold) |
| Bracelet | Case-matching hinged bangle |
| Movement | Quartz |
| Power Reserve | N/A |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$68,000 (yellow gold) POA (white gold) |
Cartier Tressage
Last, but not least, we have the Cartier Tressage, the first watch from the jewellery line introduced back in 2023. French for “braiding”, you can see where the inspiration came from this particular sculpture, with two interwoven bands lining the sides of what looks to be an almost Tank-like watch underneath. There are several variants once again, with options for diamond setting too, but here I’d honestly have to go with the contrast of yellow gold and black. It fully expresses the shapely sides, and it’s one of Cartier’s jewellery creations that won’t be impossible to pull of casually either, with time-telling not overly obscured by the elaborate design.
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Tressage Watch |
| Case Dimensions | 25.7mm (W) x 11.5mm (T) x 56.2mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 18k yellow gold 18k white gold 18k yellow and white gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black lacquer or snow-set diamond pavé |
| Strap | Beige, black, or blue calfskin leather strap |
| Movement | Swiss quartz |
| Power Reserve | N/A |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | US$40,000 (yellow gold) US$75,500 (two-tone) US$122,000 (diamond-set white gold) US$134,000 (sapphire-set white gold) |