Cartier, London

Tank Normale | A yellow gold rectangular wristwatch with yellow and pink gold deployant buckle, Circa 1950-51

Auction Closed

June 15, 08:08 PM GMT

Estimate

25,000 - 35,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Dial: cream dial signed Cartier, stretched radial Roman numerals, inner chemin-de-fer minute track, blued steel epée hands

Caliber: 9’’’ circular LeCoultre calibre movement signed European Watch & Clock Co. Inc., damascened Côtes de Genève decoration, lever escapement, 18 jewels, bi-metallic compensation balance with timing and poising screws, flat hairspring, adjusted to temperatures and two positions

Movement number: numbered to backplate 100'433

Case: 18k yellow gold polished case, gold screw-set lug bars, gold case back secured by four screws to case sides, cabochon sapphire-set beaded crown, inside case back with London hallmarks, date letter ‘P’ for 1950-51, (JC) Jacques Cartier punch mark and hand stamped numbers • 7316 •, and 100'433

Case number: case hand stamped • 7316 •

Closure: 18k yellow and pink gold Cartier deployant buckle with London hallmarks, date letter ‘Q’ for 1951-52, (JC) Jacques Cartier punch mark and hand stamped numbers 0'067

Size: 31 x 23 mm

Box: yes

Papers: no

Accessories: Cartier presentation box

François Chaille, Franco Cologni, The Cartier Collection: Timepieces, Paris: Flammarion, 2006. See p. 407 for a similar Cartier London Tank Normale dating to 1956.

Commercially introduced in 1919, the Tank Normale is the original and first Tank wristwatch case design. Inspired by the British Mark I tank which had first appeared at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Louis Cartier designed the Tank wristwatch in 1917, coincidentally the same year that Cartier opened their flagship U.S. headquarters at 653 Fifth Avenue in New York. At the time of its introduction, the wristwatch was still a relatively novel item and not yet widely adopted by men. In the early part of the 20th century watches were usually only available from Cartier via special order. Between 1919 and 1969 (inclusive) a total of only 5,829 Tank watches were made.