Cartier

The oversized “Tank Hicham” XL forms part of Cartier’s elusive Stepped‑Case family of the mid‑1970s, one of the most intriguing and least documented chapters of Cartier’s pre‑must de Cartier era. Produced in small boutique‑specific batches for Paris, London and New York, these watches are recognised for their sharply tiered bezel, painted Roman numerals and bold reinterpretation of the classic Tank aesthetic during a period when Cartier’s major boutiques still operated independently.

With limited examples made for both Paris, London, and New York, well preserved survivors are extremely rare, due to dial ageing, heavy wear, and the fragile gold‑plated brass cases.

Crucially, the Stepped‑Case designs anticipated Cartier’s strategic shift toward accessible luxury. They stand as a pre‑collection precursor to the philosophy that would later define the Must de Cartier line, culminating in the launch of the Tank Must in 1977, a model that reintroduced the Tank to a wider audience with colourful dials, plated cases, and a modern reinterpretation of Louis Cartier’s 1917 design.

Bold, sculptural and historically significant, the Tank Hicham XL remains one of the most distinctive gold plated Tank variants of the 1970s and an important link between Cartier’s boutique creativity and the Cartier collection we know today.