A solid eighteen carat yellow gold mechanical, factory set pavé diamond case, Cartier Tank Louis with solid eighteen carat gold deployant buckle on an original Cartier honey coloured alligator band. Perhaps one of the most iconic watches of all time (and certainly one that has been desired by and worn by some of the most celebrated figures of the 20th Century to this current day). In fact, it feels that this special gem of watch design is actually entering into a renaissance in its desirability and collectibility – especially original mechanical examples from this era.
The watch has all the details that Cartier lovers flock to the brand for – the Roman numeral dial, chemin de fer minute track, sword blued steel hands and a blue sapphire set winding crown. The "Swiss" stamped dial is in excellent condition with no signs of crazing or damage from moisture or dirt, as can often be the case with these watches that can suffer from not being very tightly sealed. The case being factory pavé set with diamonds means that it has never seen a polishing wheel, and is in superb condition throughout. All of the stamping and unique Cartier reference numbers are still visible on the case back, also showing no signs of polishing.
This case is the ladies size Tank Louis version 7808, measuring 21mm x 28mm, as opposed to the larger 23mm x 30mm. This classic Tank watch is powered by a manually wound, Cartier caliber 78 mechanical movement. This seventeen jewel movement features incabloc shock protection and is a fairly rudimentary, but reliable, movement that powered the vast number of Cartier watches from the mid 1970’s through to the early 1980’s.It's based on the ETA 2512-1, a movement that was commonly used from the late 1970s to the early 1980s by many watch makers. The Calibre 78-1 has a round movement with a lever escapement, flat hairspring, and monometallic balance.It also has a bi-directional winding system, which means the gears wind in both directions instead of one way.The Calibre 78-1's rotor motion is smoothed by ceramic ball bearings instead of oil, which protects it from shock.
The watch has the Cartier signature still clear on the case back, along with the unique reference number. The inside of which is fully stamped with Cartier control marks and gold assay marks. This particular example was imported into France during the 1980's and features the quirky double stamped French poinćon of the owl in the center back of the case. The deployant also has a full set of marks on the inside of the butterfly, as well as unique reference number.
Overall, this is a wonderful example of the classic Cartier icon with the twist of the diamond set case edges which beautifully wrap the case sides. A model that is increasingly in demand, and very difficult to find today A watch that worked for the likes of Jackie O. and Andy Warhol is one that cannot be left out of any serious watch collection.
