The new Cartier Tank Louis Cartier collection is all about mosaics, lacquer, and gold
Zach Blass- Four new Cartier Tank Louis Cartier models
- The two mosaic models utilise tri-gold (white, rose and yellow) finished dials
- Two models bring the green and burgundy lacquer dials from the 2021 Must collection into the manually wound Tank LC format
The Cartier Tank is one of the most iconic watch designs of all time, and in this instance my usage of “iconic” is irrefutable rather than being a cliche buzzword. I mention this fact because a tradeoff of being a certified icon is that it can be a challenge, at times, for the design language to expand. When you think of a Tank, you typically think white dial with Roman numerals. And, this would be understandable because the majority of Tanks stick to this format. Fortunately for buyers looking for something new, Cartier are well and truly masters of design and they are able to walk the thin line between upholding an icon while also offering an intriguing twist. The latest refreshing twist comes in the form of the 2023 Cartier Tank Louis Cartier collection, with two new mosaic-dial models and two lacquered-dial models.
Of the set of four, the most novel are the two mosaic models that serves as an homage to the Tank Must dials of the ’70s. Cased in either yellow or rose gold, the mosaic duo of Cartier Tank Louis Cartier watches stand out with their tri-gold finished dials. Leveraging tones of white, yellow, and rose gold, Cartier has created two distinct mosaic patterns that offer quite striking and groovy aesthetics that, at least in my opinion, have a sort of glamorous disco flair – which makes sense considering they are inspired by Must watches of the ’70s. The yellow gold model above utilizes a squared-tiling pattern for its mosaic motif, with white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold, in that order, sort of exploding into one another and creating a gradient of sorts.
The second configuration is cased in rose gold, and utilises a more symmetrical rectangular-panelled mosaic motif that evenly distributes the white, yellow, and rose gold tones across the dial. Like the yellow gold model, the rose-gold model has no dial indices or hashes – strictly the Cartier branding at the 12′ position and a central hours and minutes handset executed in gold to match their respective cases. This leaves the dial largely uninterrupted.
The next set, or duo, of new Cartier Tank Louis Cartier watches have colourful lacquered dials. These tones will be familiar to Cartier fans, as both burgundy and green were found in the trio of lacquer-dial Tank Musts that debuted in 2021. While presented as an entry into the brand, more approachable in price due to their steel cases and quartz movements, their being in high-demand led to the watches appearing on the secondary market over retail. In short, people really dug them and continue to inquire about them to this day. With all of this in mind, it makes sense to present a precious followup that utilises these tones and that further take things to the next level with their pivot to a hand wound movement rather than a quartz calibre.
While the green and burgundy shades paired great with the steel cases, paired with yellow gold the aesthetic is even more powerful. There is something really nice about seeing a rather gilty-gold Cartier branding at 12′ against the bold hues of the green and burgundy lacquer. This new lacquered duo shares the same dimensions as the mosaic-motif models, and uses the same handwound 1917 MC movement as well. This 2.9mm thick calibre allows the watches to be so thin and compact, and offers 38 hours of power reserve.
To make the one of the four models above your one and only watch may be a bit of bold move. But, having one of the above with a steel Cartier Santos de Cartier would make for a killer two-watch collection in my book.
2023 Cartier Tank Louis Cartier collection pricing and availability:
The Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Collection is available now for inquiries. Price: TBA
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Tank Louis Cartier |
| Case Dimensions | 25.5mm (D) x 6.6mm (T) x 33.7mm (L2L) |
| Case Material | Mosaic: Yellow gold or rose gold Lacquered: Yellow gold |
| Water Resistance | 30m |
| Dial | Mosaic: tri-gold finished Lacquered: Green or burgundy |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystal |
| Bracelet/Strap | Leather strap with ardillon buckle |
| Movement | Manually wound calibre 1917 MC |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Available for inquiries now |
| Price | TBA |