1980s Cartier Tank Louis

For several years, my Cartier Santos Dumont with a “Paris” dial was a staple in my collection—its distinct shape and proportions made it an absolute joy to wear. However, I eventually found myself wanting to switch it out for an example with a ‘Swiss’ guilloché dial, as something about that specific configuration just felt a bit more elegant and modern to my eye. The problem was that finding a clean example at a reasonable price was proving to be a massive challenge, especially with how the market has moved recently.

‍

‍

That’s when I started entertaining the idea of a different model, and the obvious pivot was the Tank. While the Tank’s storied lineage dates back to Louis Cartier’s 1917 design inspired by military tanks on the Western Front, I was specifically drawn to the neo-vintage references from the late '80s and early '90s that featured that gorgeous guilloché dial. This era—which includes 96065s and pre-CPCP 1600s—represents a transitional period for the Tank where Cartier began using the ultra-thin Frédéric Piguet caliber 21 movement and a "Swiss" only signature on the dial.

‍

I ended up tracking down a beautiful 96065 at a great price from @trib3ka and decided to pull the trigger. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d like it at first, but I knew I needed to live with it for a few weeks to give it a fair shot. It turns out that I absolutely love it. The watch wears just as incredibly thin as my previous Santos Dumont, but it has a much cleaner, more streamlined feel on the wrist thanks to the larger dial and simpler case lines. While the door remains open to someday adding a guilloché Santos Dumont back into the fold, this Tank has firmly cemented its place as the go-to Cartier in my collection.