#TBT Visual Glory With The Must De Cartier Tank Art Deco Ref. 1616
Next year will mark 30 years since Cartier released the Must de Cartier Tank Art Deco. Maybe I should feel embarrassed that I don’t recall ever seeing it before. But the moment I spotted it last week, I instantly fell in love. If it weren’t quartz and in the ballpark of €10,000, it would be mine already.
Find me a man or woman who doesn’t like the Cartier Tank. This classy watch is so individual and original that it is difficult, maybe impossible, to find a single thing that would keep you from liking it. At the same time, Cartier is not a brand that I would expect to put a colorful dial in its classiest model. That’s probably why I never looked into the brand’s older watches hoping to discover something wildly colorful. And yet, here we are, looking at a great Art Deco example with a simplicity, planarity, symmetry, and unvaried repetition of elements that can leave you speechless.
Image: Werner-Watches
All eyes on the dial
“It’s all in the dial,” says Simon Werner, a German specialist who focuses on (neo-)vintage Cartier watches. “The regular ref. 1616 Tank Must is a beautiful watch, yet the dial of the Art Deco version elevates it by far. It’s not only the design itself but also the way the colors patinate and get a more purple kind of tone versus the original blue, which sometimes stays intact. I have had six different models in hand now and have archives of many more, and I can guarantee they’re all so different,” Simon explains.
Image: Werner-Watches
Where did Simon find the Must de Cartier Tank Art Deco?
Simon recently listed two Cartier Tank Must Art Deco ref. 1616 watches on his Instagram account. The first one was part of a collection of a gentleman from Germany who bought it from the very first owner, who, himself, bought it brand new in the mid-’90s. The second “Art Deco” changed hands a bit more often, and Simon lost track of the third owner, but it was originally bought in Hamburg, Germany, in the mid-’90s. This one, featured today, is in phenomenal condition. Extensively worn Cartier watches usually show thousands of bumps and scratches, which only add more character to the simple dial. But I must say that if I were about to buy a Must de Cartier Tank Art Deco ref. 1616, I would like to have it as clean and untouched as a newborn’s skin.
Image: Werner-Watches
Smaller and larger
It didn’t take long to learn more about the model. Among the array of variations crafted during Cartier’s “Tank Must” era, the Art Deco version stands out as a cherished favorite among Cartier aficionados. The Must de Cartier Tank Art Deco was a limited offering, with only 1,000 pieces created in both SM and LM sizes. The smaller model, ref. 1614, comes in a 20 × 28mm case, while its bigger brother, ref. 1616, is cased within a 23 × 30mm shell.
The Art Deco Tank debuted in 1995 and paid homage to the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. This renowned event marked a pivotal moment in design history, showcasing the emerging Style Moderne in architecture, interior decoration, furniture, glass, jewelry, and other decorative arts. Its enduring significance resonates through decades and has inspired many designers and artists worldwide.
The case
What surprised me most was that the Tank Art Deco cases are silver, which is considered a sensitive material. We all remember recent stories about the silver Tudor Black Bay tarnishing after just a few months. So why does Cartier’s silver case seem so shiny and bright after three decades? “Indeed, silver is a material tough to work with because of the patina it gets super quickly. That’s why Cartier put a plating on all “silver” cased Musts — in this case, a [rhodium] coating,” adds Simon.
Image: Specialdial.com
The only downer for me
The Must de Cartier signature is tucked in the bottom-right corner of the dial. This asymmetrical placement is unusual but highly interesting. After a while, you find yourself loving this “position rebellion.” Until you spot the word “must,” you may think you’re looking at a mechanical watch. Well, at least I thought I was… Still, no matter how much I love the design, I really want this Cartier not to be quartz. For me, it’s a showstopper. My wife has an early 2000s quartz Cartier, and I’ve always felt like it was lacking something.
Notice the colors aging slightly differently — Image: Specialdial.com
On the contrary, Simon finds quartz movements super cool and claims they elevate some watches as long as they match the watch and its history. “The Must de Cartier collection is something special. It was born in the middle of the Quartz Crisis and was meant to offer cheaper Cartier watches to the people, who had become able to buy super accurate watches for low prices in Asia,” says Simon. Cartier answered with a collection of its own, mostly with quartz movements, and within that collection, the brand went wild. It includes many different and quirky dial variations and cool straps that are way less conservative than those seen in the Tank Louis Cartier collection.
The smaller Tank Art Deco ref. 1614 — Image: Specialdial.com
Aging at its best
Each Tank Art Deco piece is individually numbered. I have never seen one in real life, only in pictures, which can trick you easily. The dial’s original tones of deep blue and pale yellow can vary dramatically. The fact is that many examples now show a mix of blueish-purple, black, silver, and gold tones. It’s clear that each example has aged differently, so now you have much more to choose from. Well, if only there were so many for sale…
Image: Werner-Watches
Price talk
This brings us prices for the Must de Cartier Tank Art Deco. If you have a beverage nearby, just put it aside. The Must de Cartier Tank Art Deco has always fetched a premium compared to the regular-dial variations. “It did, and does, speak to many collectors out there and feels like a more extravagant version of wearing what I consider to be one of the archetypical watches, the original Cartier Tank,” says Simon. And a quartz movement doesn’t seem to be an issue. The rising prices, currently at around €7,000–9,000, are pretty self-explanatory.
Last thoughts
I really like the Art Deco Tank, and I instantly thought about my wife. When I showed it to her, she instantly liked it too. But I am not ready to pay almost €10K for a quartz watch. I doubt I will ever be. “Yet with the rising interest in Art Deco Tank in the recent year, I feel like prices reached an interesting point where the watch has to fight against models like the Tank Louis ref. 78086 or more relevant watches from other brands. Only the future can show if it will be able to play in that league of watches,” says Simon. Whether buying or not, I can say that the Must de Cartier Tank Art Deco is one of the brightest and most striking neo-vintage watches I’ve spotted and one of the most beautiful Cartier watches out there. Happy dreaming!
