Louis Cartier designed and built the first ground-up wristwatch in 1904. The resulting aviation timepiece, the Cartier Santos, was finally ready for public consumption in 1911. Louis Cartier wasn’t happy with the Santos because the lugs were still, in his thinking, “attached” to the case, and in 1918 Cartier finally released the Tank, a rectangular watch that effectively solved the problem of attaching a strap to a round watch.
The Tank almost single-handedly turned wrist-worn watches into a fashion trend during the roaring 1920s, and that trend changed horology forever. The Tank lent itself to endless riffing, and the number of Tank variants alone is mind-boggling (let alone the rest of the Cartier watch catalog).
By the 1970s, the three main Cartier branches — Paris, London and New York — had been sold off to various holding companies, and a proliferation of “accessible luxury” watches began to pour out of the lower-grade Must de Cartier line during the disco era. Cartier continued to make handmade, high-end watches, but the brand never made movements themselves until 2005, when they opened their stunning, ultra-modern manufacture in Switzerland. Since then, Cartier has been delighting watch fans with a bevy of gorgeous in-house watches each year.
This guide will help you navigate the current Cartier watch offerings, and it should help you understand Cartier watches more generally, as well. It’s a deep and historically rich catalog, one that reaches back to — and includes — the birth of the wristwatch itself.
NOTE: We are covering men’s watches here, and realize that this excludes many of Cartier’s greatest creations, as their watches for women are often dazzling examples of mechanical prowess and, of course, gorgeously set jewels. But Cartier watches have been unisex since before that was even a term, with the Tank leading the horological gender fluidity movement a full century before the conversation took a turn in that direction.
Santos
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Arguably the first ground-up wristwatch ever produced, the Santos remains one of Cartier’s most popular models. Features include the beautifully screwed-down square bezel, the stylish rectangle case, and the shapely lugs (which tormented Louis Cartier and resulted in the Tank). Today you can find both quartz and mechanical models. (The two models we’ve highlighted below represent the Santos perfectly.)
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With it classic style, alligator strap, steel case, and 100% pure Cartier flair, this modern, larger take on the Santos is a very pure expression of the original.
Movement: Quartz
Dimensions: 31.4mm diameter x 7.3mm tall
Material: Stainless steel
Price: $3,900
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Don’t let the medium size throw you; this watch is a gorgeous piece with tons of wrist presence. The two-tone gold and steel makes for a powerful nod to the 1980s, and the general vibe of this model is very high-end.
Movement: Cal. 1874 MC in-house automatic
Dimensions: 35.1mm diameter x 8.83mm tall
Material: Steel and yellow gold
Price: $9,500
NOTE: Every so often Cartier will release special editions of the Santos through their Privée line, an exclusive, haute horologie branch of Cartier’s watch catalog. You can explore the current Privée offerings here. They also release special models that include stunning complications, as in the tourbillon-equipped model seen below.
Tank
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Perhaps the most widely worn and celebrated dress watch of all time, the Tank — which supposedly derived its name and design inspiration from the first tanks that appeared on the battlefield in WWI — has adorned more famous wrists than we can even list, though Jackie Kennedy, her late husband JFK, Andy Warhol, and Muhammad Ali are all on there, to name a few. The Tank was Louis Cartier’s solution to the lug “problem” as he saw it, and the straight lines of the Tank have remained as popular and enduring today as they were over a century ago when the model debuted in 1918.
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By modern standards, the Solo is as close to the original Tank (eventually dubbed the Tank Normale) as you’ll get these days. It’s also Cartier’s “entry-level” Tank, offered in steel and at rather affordable prices. (One of the ways they achieve that price is to use a synthetic material where the sapphire cabochon usually goes on the crown, but we won’t tell anyone if you don’t!)
Movement: Quartz
Dimensions: 34.8mm diameter x 5.55mm tall
Material: Stainless steel case
Price: $2,610
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The second generation of the Tank was named for Louis himself because it was his personal favorite rendition. The slight changes to the original Tank include a lovely domed crystal, narrower brancards (the long sides of the watch that include the lugs), and a softening of the edges throughout the watch case. This Large model is not quite to original dimensions, so check out the medium and small if vintage vibes are a concern.
Movement: Quartz
Dimensions: 33.7mm wide diameter x 6.35mm tall
Material: Yellow gold
Price: $10,200
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An outgrowth of designs explored in the New York branch of Cartier after WWII, the Américane takes the allongée case into the modern era. Never let the width of a Tank fool you — these watches have massive wrist presence and take up considerable real estate from top to bottom, if not from side to side.
Movement: Quartz (steel); in-house mechanical with date (gold)
Dimensions: 22.6mm diameter x 9.5mm tall
Material: Steel; pink gold
Price: $5,300 (steel); $13,700 (gold)
LEARN MORE (Steel) LEARN MORE (Gold)
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Don’t let the apparent similarity with the Américane fool you, the Cintrée is curved from top to bottom, is even longer and narrower than the Americanne, and is considered one of the classic designs of the 20th Century from Cartier. Pricey and hard to find at authorized dealers, the Cintrée is something of a trophy piece (the skeletonized models even more so).
Movement: Cal. 971 MC manual-winding
Material: Yellow gold
Dimensions: 23mm diameter x 7.2mm tall
Price: $20,600
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This case shape derives from some of the more daring designs that emerged during the 20th Century, and the integrated bracelet shows off Cartier’s expertise in immaculate working of precious metals. Fit and finish are surpassed by none. (If you needed further proof that segregating mens’ and women’s models is often folly, note that the medium Tank Francaise is listed solely as a women’s watch — which makes no practical sense.)
Movement: Quartz
Material: Yellow gold (case and bracelet)
Dimensions: 30mm diameter x 6.65 tall
Price: $23,300 US
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This mechanical Tank, which shows off Cartier’s in-house manufacturing capabilities, is large and in charge. Available in steel and gold with various dial colors, the MC line remains popular with those who don’t gravitate toward the smaller, vintage-styled Tank.
Movement: cal. 1904-PS MC automatic
Dimensions: 34.3mm diameter x 9.5mm tall
Material: Stainless steel
Price: $7,250 US
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Impossible to find at an authorized dealer and often seeing waiting lists, this Asymétrique is skeletonized, pushing its avant garde nature further than ever before. No one sets diamonds better than Cartier, and a watch of this nature will likely see its second sale at an auction house.
Movement: Cal. 9623 MC manual-winding
Dimensions: 26.2mm diameter x 7.82 tall
Material: Platinum with pave diamonds
Price: $97,000
Tank Must
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In relaunching the Must de Cartier line from the 1970s, the maison has made the Tank more accessible than ever, and done it in a forward-thinking, aesthetically pleasing way. Available in solar-powered versions (“SolarBeat”); versions with specially colored, lacquered dials; and standard quartz-powered and automatic versions, Cartier has truly gone out of its way to invite as many customers as possible into the fold.
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Perhaps the most exciting new Tank in years, the SolarBeat makes use of a special photovaltaic movement powered by light that comes through the dial’s Roman numerals. It’s available in two sizes with black or colored straps, and best of all, said straps are made from not leather but — wait for it — waste from apples. (Cue “Cartier Apple Watch” jokes.)
Movement: SolarBeat quartz
Dimensions: 22mm diameter x 6.60mm tall (small); 25.5mm diameter x 6.60mm tall
Material: Steel
Price: $2,480-$2,610
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NOTE: Cartier often honors its history with special editions of the Tank through their Privée collection. It’s an exclusive line, very much haute horlogerie. Collectors pounce on these especially when the Crash, the Asymmetrique, Cintree, or the folding Basculante Tanks are released. Keep and eye out for those. You can explore the Privée line here.
Drive de Cartier
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This line of automotive-inspired watches are modern, with large and more traditionally — though still uniquely — shaped cases. There are seven models, ranging from the steel edition at $5,850 to a flying tourbillion-loaded model for $72,000. The solid gold model with moon phase is one of our favorites, but you can see the whole line up here.
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It’s classic yet unique, high-end yet below $20k, and the dial engraving and moon phase painting are second to none. These are the kinds of details best realized by a jeweler like Cartier, and the brand remains unsurpassed in their dial finishing. The Drive De Cartier Moon Phase shows off this prowess as well as any watch in the Cartier catalog.
Movement: Cal. 1904-LU automatic
Dimensions: 41mm diameter x 12.15mm tall
Material: 18k pink gold
Price: $18,600
Pasha de Cartier
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Derived from early 20th Century designs that were exported to India’s reigning Pashas, the Cartier Pasha is decidedly fancy, and thus decidedly Carter. Gold, steel, jeweled, skeletonized, complicated — you can find it all in the Pasha lineup, which you can see in full here.
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Good luck finding anything like this watch from any other brand. From the studded t-lugs to the oval sub dials to the nearly steampunk look of the crown and pushers, the Pasha chronograph in steel represents just how manly and in-charge these enduring designs can be.
Movement: Cal. 8100 MC automatic
Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 11.5mm tall
Material: Stainless steel
Price: $11,200
Ballon de Cartier
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After nearly a century of rectangular watches, in 2007 Cartier released a study in circles known as the Ballon de Cartier. Large, round, and featuring a rounded crown inside a round crown guard, we find Cartier’s passion for through-design alive and well in this product line. Sized for both men and women, the 42mm case is the boldest statement in the Cartier catalog.
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This steel model is sporty and classic, with a presence on the wrist that rivals the biggest Panerais and the brightest Rolexes.
Movement: Cal. 1847 MC automatic
Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 13mm tall
Material: Stainless steel
Price: $6,300
Ronde de Cartier
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Based on older designs dating back to Louis Cartier’s reign in the Paris branch, the Ronde de Cartier is more traditional than the Ballon De Cartier, and it tends to be offered in precious metals with rather complicated movements, fancy dials, and jewels set into precious metal cases.
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If you’re going for a Ronde, go huge and get the Rotonde! This 43.5mm beast features a skeletonized “magic” dial derived from Cartier’s famous magic clocks. The entire movement appears to hover in the middle of the watch.
Movement: Cal. 9462 MC hand-wound
Dimensions: 43.5mm diameter x 12mm tall
Material: 18k pink gold
Price: $113,000
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If a more Earthly all-steel round watch is more your thing, then consider the Ronde Solo at 42mm.
Movement: Cal. 1847 MC automatic
Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 8.53mm tall
Material: Stainless steel (with matching bracelet)
Price: $3,850
Clé de Cartier
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Building on the success of their larger round watches, the Clé de Cartier offers something interesting with its cushion-type case that resembles a Seiko Turtle as much as anything from the world of high-end dress watches.
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We like the integrated bracelet inside the cushion case, as this offers a wonderfully fresh alternative to the myriad “standard issue” luxury steels sports watches out there today. We only wish it was rated better for water resistance (it’s only 3 bar, or 100 feet), as that would make this a true do-it-all companion – but that’s what dive watches are for.
Movement: Cal. 1847 MC automatic
Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 11.7 tall
Material: Stainless steel (with matching bracelet)
Price: $5,250
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