Introduced in 1921, the 9-ligne Grand Tank Cintrée was the largest and boldest variation of Cartier’s signature Tank model. With its long, slender case personified by a graceful arch, the Cintrée is without a doubt one of the most beautiful watches made during the 20th century. Measuring a dramatic 46.5 mm long by 23 mm wide, the Cintrée’s highly curved case was designed to hug the wrist. The expansive dial and case combine straight lines, sensual curves, and crisp angles, resulting in a ‘modern’ wristwatch with a design far ahead of its time - so much so, in fact, that the design has spawned multiple re-editions; the latest one, just released in 2021, being a virtually perfect replica of the vintage model here exemplified.
Never officially published in literature, the present watch was made in the early 2000s. It is possibly unique and definitely a special-order timepiece. During the period, the regular production version of the Cintrée was a limited edition of 150 pieces in yellow gold, followed by another run of 50 in platinum. Both versions had a smooth, opaline dial with Arabic numerals and a "chemin de fer" minute track.
While similar in appearance to the 2021 re-release of the Tank Cintrée, the present watch has a guilloché dial with a rosette centre, a defining feature of the Collection Privée Cartier Paris. There is no other publicly-known Tank Cintree with a guilloche, CPCP-style dial.
Moreover, this particular example has a case back secured by eight screws, differing from the standard gold model. Additionally, it contains the calibre 9770MC, which was otherwise only found in the platinum versions. The unusual combination of dial, case material, case type, and movement makes this example almost certainly a one-off in both design as well as construction.
Cartier has historically made very few special-order timepieces, and these were usually allocated to their very best customers. To discover one previously unknown in literature is an honour indeed.
