From SwissWatchExpo…
Spotlight on: the Cartier Tank MC. The sportive and masculine Tank.
The Cartier Tank was the watch to own in the 20th century.
Inspired by World War One armoire, the Tank rejected the sensual Art Nouveau
style so popular at the time, in favor of elegant, pure lines.
Over the decades, the original Tank has been joined by many
beautiful variations – such as the Tank Louis Cartier, the Tank Américaine,
and the Tank Française – all bearing its slightly decadent Parisian elegance.
Fast forward to 2013, the Maison’s iconic design took on a resolutely masculine
edge. Get to know the Cartier Tank MC – with its strong dimensions and modern movement,
it presented a bolder take on the classic.
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The Tank MC gives the classic style of the Tank a more sportive edge.
Generously sized at 34 millimeters wide and 44 millimeters tall,
it has more wrist presence than previous versions of the Tank, but without being overbearing.
The classic Cartier character remained with its brancards, flinque (fling-kay) dial,
Roman numerals, and blue spinel cabochon, but with added heft on the wrist.
Cartier makes sure that each variation of the Tank offers something unique,
and for the Tank MC, it’s the thicker side flanks,
more-square-than-usual case, and curved top that appears to wrap around the wrist.
The finish is also impressive, with the bridges and base plate
bearing a straight-grained finish that catches light.
Cartier also decided to have a bit of fun with different dial colors,
and a choice between stainless steel and 18 karat rose gold.
The classic silver dial is paired with the signature blued steel hands,
while darker dials either have rose gold or stainless-steel hands to match the body.
The sub-seconds at 6 o’clock is a neat complication that
gives the dial an added masculine touch.
Aside from its modern dimensions, what really sets the Tank
MC apart from the rest of the Tank family is its in-house movement.
“MC” stands for “Manufacture Cartier”, and refers to the fact that inside the
watch is an in-house made caliber – the 19-04 MC automatic movement,
previously made available only on the Calibre de Cartier collection.
The movement operates at 4 hertz offering a 48-hour power reserve,
and drives the time together with the subsidiary seconds dial and the date.
Part of the Tank MC’s allure is the sapphire crystal display caseback,
which shows off the caliber – a trait only seen on Cartier watches with in-house movements.
Cartier also used the Tank MC line in trying to appeal to hardcore watch lovers.
Aside from the basic time-and-date model,
the Tank MC was also offered with a chronograph and skeleton dial version.
The Tank MC Skeleton became part of their high-end watchmaking line,
bearing the open-worked numerals that have become the signature of Cartier’s skeleton models,
such as the Santos and the Calibre (cali-breh).
This stripped-back execution reveals the 96-11 MC caliber,
a manual-wind movement with double barrels, and a practical 72-hour power reserve.
Cartier’s ingenuity doesn’t end there. The Tank MC Skeleton is cased in ultra-rare palladium,
a heavy white metal that comes with a muted sheen,
is more resistant to scratches, and is said to be 30 times rarer than gold.
These offerings combined make the Tank MC the ultimate example of
Cartier's contemporary design language at work.
With its modern size, design, and movement,
the Cartier Tank MC appeals to any wrist that's looking for something on the bolder side.
Explore our collection of Cartier Tank MC watches at SwissWatchExpo.com.
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