Cartier Les Rééditions Tank Cintrée Platinum
Jamie Weiss- Cartier’s elegantly curved Tank Cintrée gets a luxurious 950 platinum makeover
- This limited edition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Tank Cintrée in platinum
- A thinner case and Jaeger-LeCoultre-sourced movement make this Cintrée particularly refined
Introduced in 1921, the Tank Cintrée was the first spin-off from the now-iconic Cartier Tank and caused a stir back in the day thanks to its bold, elongated design and curved case. It represented a new way of looking at watches, one informed by Cartier’s status as a jeweller: not just as tools, but as pieces of art. It might not be a household name like the original Tank, but it’s been subtly influential in its own way.
In 2021, Cartier celebrated the Tank Cintrée’s 100th anniversary by releasing a gold limited edition under their exclusive Les Rééditions de Cartier line, being one of the two first watches released under the project. Now, in 2023, Cartier is following that up with an even more luxurious platinum limited-edition take on the Tank Cintrée, marking the 100th anniversary of the Tank Cintrée watch in platinum.
The intent of the Les Rééditions de Cartier project is to bring back rare vintage Cartier models as faithfully as possible to the originals. However, the Cartier Les Rééditions Tank Cintrée Platinum isn’t completely identical to the 1923 model it’s inspired by – indeed, it’s subtly different to the gold Tank Cintrée from 2021. While this 2023 model maintains the same dimensions as the original 1921 model and the 2021 re-edition – 46.3mm tall and 23mm wide – it’s slightly thinner, slimming down from 6.4mm to 6.03mm.
Otherwise, it’s a pretty faithful recreation, boasting a beaded crown topped with a ruby cabochon (a hallmark of platinum Cartier watches); a combination of brushed surfaces and polished brancards; an alligator leather strap with platinum hardware; an eggshell dial with blued Breguet hands and Roman numerals… As well as a mineral crystal and a lack of water resistance, which might disappoint some buyers – not that you’d want to go swimming with a watch like this.
Like the 2021 re-edition, the Cartier Les Rééditions Tank Cintrée Platinum is powered by the calibre 9780 MC, which is Cartier’s designation for the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 849. This in of itself is a nice touch, as vintage Tank Cintrées were also powered by JLC movements.
At only 1.85mm thick, this movement powers some of the Richemont Group’s thinnest watches, such as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Knife and the IWC Schaffhausen Portofino Ultra-Thin. This movement also powers the Cartier Les Rééditions Tank Cintrée in gold from 2021, so it’s interesting that Cartier was able to shave off a few micrometres for this new platinum model.
The craze for vintage Cartier is well and truly here to stay. Earlier this year, a platinum Tank Cintrée from 1925 (that was restored by Cartier in 1999, mind you) went under the hammer at Christie’s for a whopping CHF 302,400 – blowing the high CHF 40,000 estimate out of the water. The Tank Cintrée has always been one of if not the rarest version of the Tank, and there’s clearly an appetite for platinum Cintrées, so the timing of this release couldn’t be better for Cartier. Utterly elegant, subtly decadent and exceptionally faithful to the original, this is one dapper watch.
Cartier Les Rééditions Tank Cintrée Platinum pricing and availability
The Cartier Les Rééditions Tank Cintrée Platinum is a limited edition of 150 pieces, available at the end of September 2023, with pricing upon application. Time+Tide have confirmed with Cartier locally that individual markets aren’t receiving exact allocations as availability is entirely dependent on customer interest – similar to the concept done for the Les Rééditions Pebble.
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Les Rééditions Tank Cintrée |
| Reference Number | WGTA0193 |
| Case Dimensions | 23mm (W) x 6.03mm (T) x 46.3mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 950 platinum |
| Water Resistance | Not water-resistant |
| Crystal | Mineral glass |
| Dial | Eggshell curved brass |
| Strap | Semi-matte black alligator strap, 950 platinum ardillon buckle |
| Movement | Calibre 9780 MC, base Jaeger-LeCoultre 849, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 33 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Limited edition of 150 pieces, available end of September 2023 |
| Price | POA |