Cartier · Tank Cintrée

Tank Cintrée, Original

Tank Cintrée (1921)Launched 1921; examples c. 1925–1950s

The original Cartier Tank Cintrée, introduced in 1921, is a curved manual-wind Tank in 18k gold or platinum, about 23 × 46 mm in its largest size, with examples dated c. 1925–1950s on European Watch & Clock Co. or Cartier cal. 460-1B movements.

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Recent sales of the Tank Cintrée (1921): $66,900 to $85,550, median $78,450 across 6 sales of this exact reference, Nov 2023 to Nov 2026. What's yours worth?

Only sales identified as the Tank Cintrée (1921) count here.

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Specifications

Reference
Tank Cintrée (1921)
Early production, curved case, manual wind
Year
Launched 1921; examples c. 1925–1950s
Phillips and Sotheby's give 1921 for the introduction; dated examples run from about 1925 to about 1950
Movement
Manual-wind
Movements by the European Watch & Clock Co. (cal. 9''') or Cartier cal. 460-1B, by example
Case
About 23 × 46 mm, 18k gold or platinum
Curved rectangle; about 23 × 46 mm in the largest size, which Phillips calls the 9-ligne Grand Tank Cintrée; Antiquorum records a 36 × 20.5 mm example of 1929 with an 8-ligne movement
Dial
White
Chemin de fer minute track, stretched Roman numerals
Hands
Blued steel
Sword-shaped
Crystal
Mineral glass
Strap
Leather
Cartier deployant clasps, some numbered to match the case; one example on a bracelet

Visual Description

The Tank Cintrée is a Tank drawn out into a long rectangle and curved from end to end so that it follows the wrist. In its largest size the case measures about 23 × 46 mm. Dials carry Roman numerals graduated to the long shape, with an inner minute track; one white gold example of the 1930s has luminous Arabic numerals instead.

Reference Significance

This page covers the Cintrée's early production, which carries no reference number. Phillips calls the 9-ligne Grand Tank Cintrée the largest of the first Cintrées, which it says came in three sizes set by the movement, and describes the European Watch and Clock Co. caliber of its 1927 example as supplied by LeCoultre.

Platinum and gold cases are both documented: platinum in the 1920s, 18k yellow gold from about 1925 to about 1950, and 18k white gold in the 1930s.

Historical Context

Phillips and Sotheby's date the Cintrée's introduction to 1921. The dated early examples begin about 1925 and run to about 1950.

Later Cintrées without reference numbers also exist, among them one of 1965 and one of about 1976, and fall outside this page's range.

What to Look For

The hand-stamped Cartier numbers on the case back should match those on the clasp, as they do on examples Phillips and Sotheby's have sold. The movement should be hand-wound and, on most early examples, signed European Watch & Clock Co.

Check the case metal against its marks, and look closely at the dial: one dealer described the dial of a platinum example of about 1926 as reprinted. Sight along the case for dents or flat spots in the curve.

Known Variants

Documented dial, case, and bracelet variations of Tank Cintrée (1921).

9 Lignes, about 23 × 46 mm

The largest size, which Phillips calls the 9-ligne Grand Tank Cintrée. Documented in platinum, from about 1926 to 1927, and in 18k yellow gold from about 1925 to about 1950, mostly with European Watch & Clock Co. movements.

c. 1925–1950Documented at Phillips, Sotheby's and Wind Vintage

Smaller Case, 8-Ligne Movement

A smaller curved case for an 8-ligne European Watch & Clock Co. movement: Antiquorum sold a platinum example made in 1929 measuring 36 × 20.5 mm, with a matte silver dial and graduated Roman numerals.

1929Documented by Antiquorum

18k White Gold, Luminous Arabic Numerals

An 18k white gold example of about the 1930s, 46.5 × 22 mm, with luminous Arabic numerals and a Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber signed European Watch Clock and Co.

c. 1930sDocumented by Phillips

How to tell it apart

What separates the Tank Cintrée (1921) from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is a Cartier Tank Cintrée (1921) worth?

Public auction and dealer results for the Tank Cintrée (1921) from November 2023 to November 2026 come to $66,900 to $85,550, with a median of $78,450 across 6 sales of this exact reference. The most recent was $75,600 at Monaco Legend Auctions in June 2026. Condition, service history, and the original box and papers move an individual watch within that range.

What is the original Tank Cintrée?

The first curved Tank, introduced in 1921 according to Phillips and Sotheby's: a long rectangular case in 18k gold or platinum, curved from end to end to follow the wrist, about 23 × 46 mm in its largest size, with Roman numerals and a hand-wound movement, most often by the European Watch & Clock Co.

What movement is in an early Tank Cintrée?

A hand-wound movement that varies by example, usually signed European Watch & Clock Co. and sized at 8 or 9 lignes to suit the case. Phillips catalogs one Cintrée of about 1925 with a Cartier cal. 460-1B instead.

What sizes did the original Cintrée come in?

Phillips writes that the first Cintrées came in three sizes set by the movement inside, the 9-ligne Grand Tank Cintrée of about 23 × 46 mm being the largest. A platinum example of 1929 with an 8-ligne movement measures 36 × 20.5 mm. The sources consulted do not measure the third size.

Was the original Tank Cintrée made in Paris, London or New York?

Phillips writes that it was crafted and sold in the Paris workshop and later adopted by Cartier New York and London, and it considers one example of about 1925 most probably made in France and sold in London. The sources consulted document no early Cintrée with a dial signed Cartier London.

How should an early Tank Cintrée be evaluated?

Compare the hand-stamped Cartier numbers on the case with those on the clasp, which match on examples Phillips and Sotheby's have sold. Check that the movement is signed European Watch & Clock Co. or is otherwise consistent with the period, and that the metal matches the case marks. Look closely at the dial too, since a dealer has described the dial of one platinum example as reprinted.

Other Tank Cintrée References

Ref. 11061Photograph wanted
Ref. 11061

Tank Cintrée Dual Time

Platinum · c. 1990s

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