Cartier

Launched in 1921, just two years after the debut of the original Cartier Tank, the slim and elongated Tank Cintrée has remained one of the brand’s most iconic interpretations of the Tank design. Produced only in limited numbers, regardless of variant, the Cintrée has long been considered one of Cartier’s most special creations. Its case is slightly longer and slimmer than that of the Tank Américaine, but its true brilliance lies in the subtle vertical curve that hugs the wrist. Cintrée translates to “curved” in French, and this watch fully embodies that definition: the dial, case, and crystal all follow a gentle arc that allows it to contour perfectly to the wearer’s wrist.

The present Tank Cintrée Dual Time, dating from 1990, is a marvel of finesse and design ingenuity. To achieve a dual time display, Cartier ingeniously housed two separate mechanical movements within a single case, featuring a dial divided into two distinct sections for each time zone and complemented by two faceted crowns, lending the watch a particularly dynamic and sophisticated presence.

The upper half of the dial, indicating the first time zone, displays the classic Tank layout with bold, black-painted Roman numerals. The lower half, showing the second time zone, features black-painted hour markers with Roman numeral quarters. Between the two sub-dials appears the signature “Cartier,” while the word “Paris” is elegantly printed above the six o’clock position.