Cartier Tank à Guichets - 2817 Rose gold - Collection Privée Cartier Paris - LTD 100 pieces

Origin

In 1917 (70 years after the brand started operating in 1847), Cartier produced one of the most important watch designs ever. Created by Louis Cartier, the Cartier Tank was inspired by a French tank called the Renault FT-17. Admittedly, a military tank is quite an unusual place to get inspiration from for a dress watch, but the Renault's compact, strong and systematic design was actually a remarkably logical origin of inspiration. 

From 1917 onwards, the Tank became a true icon of many worlds and subsequent evolutions of its core DNA were created. The Cintrée, the Basculante, The Chinoise and the Tank à Guichet, to name just a few. The latter is a deeply fascinating and whimsical creation that first arrived on the scene in 1928. This watch is undoubtedly a Tank in form, however the Tank à Guichet was the first Cartier jump hour. This pure, curious mystery of a watch was only produced in extremely limited quantities, an approach which the brand honoured in 1996 when the model returned to the range for just three pieces in 18k rose gold Twelve months later, 150 pieces were created in platinum, featuring a faceted ruby cabochon. In 1998 Cartier launched the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (or CPCP), the start of an exclusive collection of masterful, expertly made mechanical watches that respectfully looked back through the brand's incredible archive in exceedingly scarce numbers. Fast forward to 2006, and Cartier launches another limited run of the Tank à Guichet. This time now officially a part of the CPCP collection, this 100-piece run was made using a pink gold case and is where the model we have today comes from.

The Watch

Seldom seen publicly, let alone made available on the open market, this 2817 Tank à Guichet is a true unicorn of the Cartier CPCP collection. Dating from the incredibly limited run of 100 pieces in 2006, this example is offered in true new old stock, museum worthy condition, a unicorn of a unicorn.

The 18k rose gold case of this reference is undoubtedly a Tank, however its evolved a substantial amount from the traditional Louis Cartier. The Tank à Guichet has a broader presence, measuring 26mm wide by 37mm tall, with the flanking case sides sitting flatter and a little more squared off. The case is expertly vertically brushed with incredible levels of clarity and detail. This watch's bright, chamfered sides subtly and ingeniously elevate its charm, bettered by the rose gold hue.

As arguably the pinnacle of elegance in luxury watchmaking, the dial of this Cartier is the most part the same story as the case, with just two separate vertically integrated white apertures displaying the time. A beautifully sculpted window displays the current hour at the top of the dial, and as time progresses, this window instantly jumps forward. The lower half of the dial houses a symmetrical half-oval display with an elegantly integrated pointed arrow right at its centre. This is the reference point for the rotating wheel disk, which displays the current minutes. Both mystical apertures are complemented by a refined, artistic font for the Arabic numbers, evoking its art deco-rooted design language.

A blue cabochon is a re-occurring characteristic of a Cartier Tank, and here it resides at the three o'clock position encased by a fantastically sized and octagonal crown. The Tank à Guichet is a truly special creation from the iconic French watchmaker and is rarely seen for sale, let alone in this conditon. 

The Movement

The Cartier Tank à Guichet 2817 houses the 9752 MC mechanical jump hour movement. Created by Piaget for Cartier, this 19 jewel movement is hand-wound and comes with beautifully decorated Cartier bridges that are discreetly hidden behind the solid case back of this piece. 

How It Wears

Understated sophistication and pure refinement spring to mind when strapping this Cartier to the wrist. At 26mm x 37mm, this 2817 Tank à Guichet is a superb size for a rectangular watch, framing the wrist it sits on easily. The 2817 allows for momentary adjustments to our perception of time and almost forces the wearer to slow down and enjoy each passing minute in detail as they tick away. 

Condition

This Cartier Tank à Guichet 2817 is a full, complete set presented in incredible new old stock condition. The watch comes with the Cartier outer box, inner CPCP box, a certificate from Cartier, the manual, as well as the original rose gold folding buckle and the original Cartier brown alligator strap.

* Every watch is delivered in a Mr WATCHLEY Membrane Protection Box for a safe transportation in addition to its original set * 

If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment. We are based in Ghent, Belgium