How much will a dealer pay for a Tank Louis Cartier?

Dealers buying to resell usually bid about 75 to 85% of public market value, because they carry the cost and risk of the resale. For a 23 x 30 mm 18k gold manual wind Tank Louis Cartier at the recent median of $7,650, that suggests bids of roughly $5,750 to $6,500. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.

How do I tell which Tank Louis Cartier reference I have?

Turn the watch over: the reference is engraved on the case back. The 78086 (c. 1974–1981), the smaller 20.5 × 28 mm 78087 (c. 1974–1990s), the Extra Plates 96019 (c. 1970–1990), 96065 (c. 1980–1990s, with a guilloché dial) and 16121 (c. 1990s–2000s, on a gold bracelet), and the platinum 1601 (c. 1990–2000, also cataloged as 1601-1 and 1601 B) are hand-wound, and the Jumbos are automatic: the 28 × 35 mm 17002 (c. 1970s) and the smaller 25.5 × 33 mm 17011 (c. 1970s–1980s). The 8810 (c. 1980s–1990s, also cataloged as 88105 and 81052), the 2441 (c. 1995–2015, with a date at 3 o'clock) and the 2442 (c. 1995–2005) are quartz. If the watch is unusually thin, about 4.9 mm, it is likely an Extra Plate: the 96019, the 96065 if the dial is guilloché, the 16121 on a gold bracelet, or the 1601 if the case is platinum. The case back settles it.

Which Tank Louis Cartier references are mechanical?

The Ref. 78086 is hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 78-1, in 18k yellow gold, dated from about 1974 to 1981, and the smaller 20.5 × 28 mm Ref. 78087, c. 1974–1990s, is hand-wound on a Cal. 2512. The Extra Plate Ref. 96019 is hand-wound on the ultra-thin Frédéric Piguet Cal. 21 and measures about 4.9 mm thick, and the guilloché-dial Extra Plate Ref. 96065 is hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 96, based on the Piguet Cal. 21. The Piguet Cal. 21 also powers the 18k yellow gold Extra Plate Ref. 16121, c. 1990s–2000s, and the platinum Ref. 1601, c. 1990–2000. The 28 × 35 mm Jumbo Ref. 17002 of the 1970s is automatic, on the Cartier Cal. 170, and so is the smaller 25.5 × 33 mm Ref. 17011, c. 1970s–1980s, on an ETA-based movement. The 8810, 2441 and 2442 are quartz.

What does a Paris dial mean on a Tank Louis Cartier?

A dial signed with the city's name. Sotheby's describes Paris dials as signed with the city's name at 6 o'clock and notes that they were sold in both Paris and London. Compare a watch sold as a Paris dial with documented examples of the same reference.

What is the Must de Cartier Tank and how is it different?

Les Must de Cartier, launched in the mid-1970s, offered the Tank in vermeil, gold-plated sterling silver. Must Tanks carry their own reference numbers, such as the 366001 and the 590005, and their dials include burgundy and the Trinity pattern striped in three gold tones. They are a separate line from the solid 18k gold Tank Louis Cartier, and the case back markings tell them apart.

Is a quartz Tank Louis Cartier still a real Tank Louis?

Yes. The Ref. 8810 of the 1980s and 1990s and the Refs. 2441 and 2442, from about 1995 to 2015, are solid 18k gold Tank Louis Cartier watches with quartz movements. The case back reference tells the 8810 from the hand-wound 78086, which has the same 23 × 30 mm case size.

Cartier

Tank Louis Cartier

The 1922 refinement of Louis Cartier's Tank, with brancards rounded at the outer edge.

What's it worth?View references Collector's Corner

History

“I don't wear a Tank watch to tell the time. Actually I never even wind it. I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear!”
Andy Warhol

Origins: From Trench to Wrist

The Tank Louis Cartier is the 1922 refinement of one of the most important wristwatch designs of the twentieth century. Louis Cartier conceived the Tank in 1917 (the story goes that an early example went to General John Pershing of the American Expeditionary Force), drawing its architectural lines from the aerial silhouette of a Renault FT-17 tank, with the brancards forming the case sides and the treads becoming the strap attachments. The Tank Louis Cartier kept that plan and softened it, with brancards rounded at the outer edge where the original Tank Normale has flat, squared ones.

A Century of Evolution

The Tank Louis Cartier references on Archiva begin in the 1970s. The Ref. 78086 of c. 1974–1981 is 23 × 30 mm in 18k yellow gold on the hand-wound Cartier Cal. 78-1, and the Ref. 78087, c. 1974–1990s, is its smaller companion at 20.5 × 28 mm on a hand-wound Cal. 2512. The Extra Plate Ref. 96019, c. 1970–1990, is about 4.9 mm thick on the ultra-thin Frédéric Piguet Cal. 21. The same movement runs the 23.5 × 30 mm 18k yellow gold Extra Plate Ref. 16121, c. 1990s–2000s, documented on gold bracelets, and the platinum Ref. 1601, c. 1990–2000, cataloged as 1601-1 and 1601 B and issued in a salmon-dial limited edition of 70. The automatic Ref. 17011, c. 1970s–1980s, is a smaller Jumbo than the 28 × 35 mm 17002: 25.5 × 33 mm in 18k yellow gold on an ETA-based self-winding movement, with a domed back that makes room for the movement.

The Ref. 8810 is a 23 × 30 mm solid gold Tank Louis with a quartz movement, which catalogs date from the 1980s to the 1990s. The larger quartz Ref. 2441, 25.5 × 33.7 mm with a date at 3 o'clock, and the smaller time-only Ref. 2442, 22 × 29.5 mm, date from about 1995.

Les Must de Cartier, launched in the mid-1970s, offered the Tank in vermeil, gold-plated sterling silver; Sotheby's calls the line a diffusion brand. Must Tanks carry their own references, such as the 366001 and the 590005, and are a separate line from the solid gold Tank Louis Cartier.

The Tank Louis Today

Sotheby's notes that Andy Warhol was photographed wearing various Tank Louis Cartier watches through the 1970s and 1980s.

Quintessential Reference

Ref. 78086 · c. 1974–1981

Photos by @boldervintage

Reference: 78086; 18k yellow gold, manual-wind
Year: c. 1974–1981; Lyon & Turnbull dates one circa 1974 and records another sold in 1977; Sotheby's and Loupe This date others to 1980 and 1981
Movement: Manual-wind; Cartier Cal. 78-1, 17 jewels; Lyon & Turnbull catalogs it as Cal. 2512
Case: 23 × 30 mm, 18k Yellow Gold
Dial: White; Black Roman numerals and an inner minute track; Paris-signed dials and a secret signature in the VII are documented on some examples
Hands: Blued steel; Sword-shaped
Crystal: Mineral glass; Per Analog/Shift
Strap: Leather; 18k yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp or buckle

The Ref. 78086: a 23 × 30 mm Tank Louis Cartier in 18k yellow gold on the hand-wound Cartier Cal. 78-1, made c. 1974–1981. Its white dial carries black Roman numerals and an inner minute track under a mineral glass crystal.

Other Known References

11 documented references across 2 eras

Reunion & Democratization1964–1992

8 refs

Reference	Case Material	Movement	Case Size	Dial	Crystal
Ref. 1601Platinum · Manual-wind	Platinum	Manual-wind	23.5 × 30 mm	White or silvered guilloché
Ref. 1700218k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold · Automatic	18k Yellow Gold or 18k White Gold	Automatic	28 × 35 mm	White	Glass
Ref. 1701118k Yellow Gold · Automatic	18k Yellow Gold	Automatic	25.5 × 33 mm	White
Ref. 7808618k Yellow Gold · Manual-wind	18k Yellow Gold	Manual-wind	23 × 30 mm	White	Mineral glass
Ref. 7808718k Yellow Gold · Manual-wind	18k Yellow Gold	Manual-wind	20.5 × 28 mm	White
Ref. 881018k Yellow Gold · Quartz	18k Yellow Gold	Quartz	23 × 30 mm	White	Sapphire
Ref. 9601918k Yellow or White Gold · Manual-wind	18k Yellow or White Gold	Manual-wind	24 × 30 mm	White	Mineral
Ref. 9606518k Yellow Gold · Manual-wind	18k Yellow Gold	Manual-wind	23 × 30 mm	Silvered guilloché	Sapphire

Modern Manufacture1993–2001

3 refs

Reference	Case Material	Movement	Case Size	Dial	Crystal
Ref. 1612118k Yellow Gold · Manual-wind	18k Yellow Gold	Manual-wind	23.5 × 30 mm	White or silvered	Mineral
Ref. 244118k Yellow Gold · Quartz	18k Yellow Gold	Quartz	25.5 × 33.7 mm	White or silvered	Sapphire
Ref. 244218k Yellow Gold · Quartz	18k Yellow Gold	Quartz	22 × 29.5 mm	Silvered or white	Sapphire

What is a Tank Louis Cartier worth?

Choose your reference, set its condition, and see what it's likely to bring. Each estimate uses sales of that exact reference where there are enough of them.

From April 2024 to August 2026, 16 counted sales of Ref. 78086 ran from $5,500 to $9,950, with a middle price of $7,650. The most recent was $8,950 at Case Antiques in August 2026.

See all 17 sales of Ref. 78086: 16 counted, 1 not

Date	Ref.	Where	Details	Counts as	Price
Aug 2026	78086	Case AntiquesAuction	White Paris dial, case no. 780864702.	This reference	$8,960
Jun 2026	78086	Bonhams (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial.	This reference	$7,680
Apr 2026	78086	Nomisma (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial.	This reference	$8,878
Mar 2026	78086	Aguttes (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial.	This reference	$9,926
Mar 2026	78086	Artcurial (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial.	This reference	$7,660
Feb 2026	78086	Loupe ThisAuction	White dial, 30 x 23.3 mm, excellent condition, new green lizard strap and Cartier deployant clasp, watch only. Hammer price, 10% buyer's premium not included. 30 bids, no reserve, ended 17 Feb 2026.	This reference	$5,501
Dec 2025	78086	Ader (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial.	This reference	$7,235
Dec 2025	78086	Dr. Crott (via EveryWatch)Auction	Dial not stated.	This reference	$7,787
Dec 2025	78086	FinarteAuction	Fine Watches, Milan, lot 15, 15 Dec 2025. 31 x 23 mm, 18k gold, hand-winding, case n. 7125, 1980s. Leather strap with Cartier rose gold deployant buckle; condition not stated. Finarte: the price includes buyer's premium.	This reference	EUR 6,930≈ $8,100
Oct 2025	78086	Loupe This (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial.	This reference	$7,260
Dec 2024	78086	FinarteAuction	White dial, Roman numerals.	This reference	€6,300≈ $6,550
Dec 2024	78086	Aguttes (via Collector Square)Auction	Case number confirms the reference.	This reference	€6,500≈ $6,850
Nov 2024	78086	Lyon & TurnbullAuction	Sold 1977, Cartier Paris warranty card and box, Paris dial.	This reference	£7,560≈ $9,600
Nov 2024	78086	Lyon & TurnbullAuction	c. 1974, original owner, Paris dial, no papers.	This reference	£5,796≈ $7,350
Apr 2024	78086	Woolley & WallisAuction	1980s, gold deployant.	This reference	£7,560≈ $9,450
Apr 2024	78086	Freeman's \| HindmanAuction	Sale 1322, Watches, Chicago, 16 Apr 2024. Ref. 78086, circa 1990s, 23 x 30 mm, 18k yellow gold, manual wind, white dial, black leather strap with 18k yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp; moderate scratches and wear, bezel discoloration; runs. Property from the Cecilia G. D'Costa Trust. 'Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer's Premium'. Est. $1,000-2,000.	This reference	$6,985
Nov 2025	78086	Olympia Auctions (via EveryWatch)	Black dial.	Not countedblack dial, a rare variant	$15,529

Sales from November 2023 to November 2026, or from the last five years for a reference with fewer than three in that time. Only sales that name a reference count toward its estimate; sales of the rest of its version are shown for comparison and never folded in. Auction prices include the buyer's premium unless a row says hammer; dealer prices are the price at sale. Pound, euro and Hong Kong dollar figures are converted near the sale date. Results marked via EveryWatch or Collector Square come from those indexes and should be confirmed at the auction house; whether EveryWatch figures include the premium is not stated. Dealer rows are the asking price at sale, where the page does not give a date. The condition and option adjustments, the expected bid (75 to 85% of market value) and the auction range (62 to 72%) are working assumptions, to be replaced by Archiva's own bids as they come in. A sale far above or below the other sales of its reference is listed but not counted, so one unusual result can't pull the estimate. An estimate from public results, not an appraisal.

Collector's Corner

What every buyer, inheritor, and first-time collector should know.

Buying Guide

01DIAL

The Secret Signature

Introduced 1977

A microscopic 'CARTIER' hidden within the Roman numerals, present on every genuine post-1977 dial.

02CASE

Case Back Hallmarks

Varies by origin and era

A Cartier case carries the Cartier signature, a reference and serial number on later pieces, and small struck marks for the metal and the case maker. Which marks appear depends on where the case was made: an eagle's head on Paris gold, JC and a date letter on London cases, the Helvetia head on Swiss 18k before 1995. The hallmarks guide shows what each one means.

03MOVEMENT

Movement Sourcing

Varies by era and model

Cartier sourced movements from various Swiss manufacturers throughout history, including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Frédéric Piguet, ETA, and in-house production. Knowing the correct caliber for a specific reference is essential for identifying the watch and establishing provenance.

04CROWN

Crown Sapphire Cabochon

A Cartier hallmark since the early 20th century

The blue sapphire (or spinel on less precious models) cabochon crown is a Cartier signature. Original crowns show consistent color saturation and are set flush with the crown body. Replacements often show misalignment or incorrect stone dimensions that reveal themselves under magnification.

05BRACELET

Bracelet and Clasp Markings

Check the clasp first

Cartier bracelets carry their own reference markings and the deployment clasp should bear the Cartier name and logo. Aftermarket bracelets are extremely common on vintage pieces, so checking that the clasp is original and that reference numbers match is crucial to the overall picture.

06DIAL

Dial Aging and Patina

Patina tells the story

Vintage Cartier dials develop characteristic aging: cream dials warm to ivory, lacquer dials may develop fine crazing, and applied indices can show legible wear patterns. Understanding acceptable versus concerning dial aging is key to valuing a vintage piece accurately.

Questions collectors ask

Direct answers about the Tank Louis Cartier, drawn from the reference records below.

What is a Tank Louis Cartier worth?: Public auction and dealer results from November 2023 to November 2026 put the 23 x 30 mm 18k gold manual wind (Ref. 78086) at $7,150 to $8,900, median $7,650 across 16 sales; the extra plate 18k gold manual wind (Ref. 96019, 16121) at $8,150 to $10,800, median $9,750 across 6 sales; the large 18k yellow gold quartz (Ref. 2441) at $6,550 to $7,150, median $6,850 across 6 sales; the 22–23 x 30 mm 18k yellow gold quartz (Ref. 2442, 8810) at $5,100 to $6,100, median $5,650 across 12 sales; the jumbo 28 x 35 mm 18k gold automatic (Ref. 17002) at $17,650 to $26,200, median $23,300 across 3 sales; the jumbo 25.5 x 33 mm 18k yellow gold automatic (Ref. 17011) at one public sale at $13,800; the 23.5 x 30 mm platinum manual wind (Ref. 1601B, 1601F) at $19,300 to $22,700, median $21,250 across 4 sales; and the small 20.5 x 28 mm 18k gold manual wind (Ref. 78087) at $6,400 to $11,900, median $9,150 across 2 sales. Condition, a recent Cartier service, and the original box and papers move an individual watch within or beyond these ranges, and the calculator on this page adjusts for each.
How much will a dealer pay for a Tank Louis Cartier?: Dealers buying to resell usually bid about 75 to 85% of public market value, because they carry the cost and risk of the resale. For a 23 x 30 mm 18k gold manual wind Tank Louis Cartier at the recent median of $7,650, that suggests bids of roughly $5,750 to $6,500. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.
How do I tell which Tank Louis Cartier reference I have?: Turn the watch over: the reference is engraved on the case back. The 78086 (c. 1974–1981), the smaller 20.5 × 28 mm 78087 (c. 1974–1990s), the Extra Plates 96019 (c. 1970–1990), 96065 (c. 1980–1990s, with a guilloché dial) and 16121 (c. 1990s–2000s, on a gold bracelet), and the platinum 1601 (c. 1990–2000, also cataloged as 1601-1 and 1601 B) are hand-wound, and the Jumbos are automatic: the 28 × 35 mm 17002 (c. 1970s) and the smaller 25.5 × 33 mm 17011 (c. 1970s–1980s). The 8810 (c. 1980s–1990s, also cataloged as 88105 and 81052), the 2441 (c. 1995–2015, with a date at 3 o'clock) and the 2442 (c. 1995–2005) are quartz. If the watch is unusually thin, about 4.9 mm, it is likely an Extra Plate: the 96019, the 96065 if the dial is guilloché, the 16121 on a gold bracelet, or the 1601 if the case is platinum. The case back settles it.
Which Tank Louis Cartier references are mechanical?: The Ref. 78086 is hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 78-1, in 18k yellow gold, dated from about 1974 to 1981, and the smaller 20.5 × 28 mm Ref. 78087, c. 1974–1990s, is hand-wound on a Cal. 2512. The Extra Plate Ref. 96019 is hand-wound on the ultra-thin Frédéric Piguet Cal. 21 and measures about 4.9 mm thick, and the guilloché-dial Extra Plate Ref. 96065 is hand-wound on the Cartier Cal. 96, based on the Piguet Cal. 21. The Piguet Cal. 21 also powers the 18k yellow gold Extra Plate Ref. 16121, c. 1990s–2000s, and the platinum Ref. 1601, c. 1990–2000. The 28 × 35 mm Jumbo Ref. 17002 of the 1970s is automatic, on the Cartier Cal. 170, and so is the smaller 25.5 × 33 mm Ref. 17011, c. 1970s–1980s, on an ETA-based movement. The 8810, 2441 and 2442 are quartz.
What does a Paris dial mean on a Tank Louis Cartier?: A dial signed with the city's name. Sotheby's describes Paris dials as signed with the city's name at 6 o'clock and notes that they were sold in both Paris and London. Compare a watch sold as a Paris dial with documented examples of the same reference.
What is the Must de Cartier Tank and how is it different?: Les Must de Cartier, launched in the mid-1970s, offered the Tank in vermeil, gold-plated sterling silver. Must Tanks carry their own reference numbers, such as the 366001 and the 590005, and their dials include burgundy and the Trinity pattern striped in three gold tones. They are a separate line from the solid 18k gold Tank Louis Cartier, and the case back markings tell them apart.
Is a quartz Tank Louis Cartier still a real Tank Louis?: Yes. The Ref. 8810 of the 1980s and 1990s and the Refs. 2441 and 2442, from about 1995 to 2015, are solid 18k gold Tank Louis Cartier watches with quartz movements. The case back reference tells the 8810 from the hand-wound 78086, which has the same 23 × 30 mm case size.

Next Steps

INHERITOR