Cartier Tank Chinoise CPCP (Collection Privée, Cartier Paris)

An 18k red gold, limited-edition Tank from Cartier.

Case: 37mm by 30.5mm, 18k pink gold with screw-down crown and
exhibition case back.

Movement: Piaget caliber 437MC, manual-wound movement.

Dial: White with guilloché and Roman numerals in black. Hidden Cartier
signature at 7 o’clock. Blued steel hands.

Condition: Lightly worn, stunning condition. Original box, without papers. Deployant strap with original buckle.

Circa: 1990s.

More about Cartier:

Cartier inaugurated what would become their flagship line in 1917, with the release of the Tank Normale. Many iterations of the Tank followed: the Tank Cintrée in 1921, the rare Tank à Guichets in 1928, the Tank Americaine in 1989, and the Tank Française in 1996. Throughout its run, the Tank has come in many different materials and case sizes, making it Cartier's largest line.

In 1922 Cartier introduced the Tank Chinoise. Two details set it apart from the other Tanks: its shape--square rather than rectangular--and its lugs, reminiscent of Chinese temples. Released amid a mania for Asian influence in jewelry design, the Tank Chinoise remained a classic, seeing reissue in the 1990s in the Collection Privée, Cartier Paris (or CPCP).

The CPCP took classic designs like the Tank Louis, Tank Asymétrique and the Tank Chinoise, and updated them with an eye for more modern aesthetics. They also were fitted with movements by Piaget, as in the present watch. The Tank Chinoise of the 90s is slightly larger than the Tank Chinoise of the 1920s, and was available in platinum and pink gold. With production limited to 250 pieces a year, this makes the Tank Chinoise CPCP highly collectible, as well as a testament to Cartier's enduring style.