Cartier

The Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat was unveiled at the SIHH 2012 in conjunction with the Tank Anglaise. But it is difficult to imagine such opposite Tank! If the Tank Anglaise has a rather massive style due to its imposing shafts (one of them including the crown), the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat operates in a totally different atmosphere by adopting a sleek and refined style. I was immediately attracted to this watch that I found to be very faithful to the spirit of the collection. When a few months ago, a friend in Brussels proposed me to wear during a full day his own watch, I could not refuse such an opportunity. A year after its introduction and in the context of "on-the-wrist" test, would the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat be able to keep its power of seduction?


The feature that surprised me the most by discovering and manipulating the watch for the first time is its extreme fineness. The pink gold case has indeed a height of 5.1 mm, which in absolute terms is already excellent performance. However, this feeling is accentuated by the other dimensions of the case. With a width of 34.92mm (crown included) and a length of 40.40 mm, the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat bears a relatively large size and a decidedly slim shape for a watch:  I could feel the presence it creates when put on the wrist . Hopefully, it avoids the trap  of the aesthetic heaviness. The shafts are thin, flat and rounded at their ends, reducing the visual impact of the design and contributing to the refinement of the watch. The distance between the lugs is relatively significant but the alligator skin strap combines perfectly with the case due to its flat rendering. The strap also has a specific shape since the gap between the lugs distance and the width of the buckle is relatively high.


The case size and the ratio between width and length have an impact on the dial. This latter respects of course all the aesthetic characteristics of the Tank collection: the usual Roman numerals with the secret Cartier signature located in the V of the VII, the central railway track minute scale with 5 minutes marks, the sword hands made of blued steel tell the time on a silvered grained background. In contrast, due to the case size, Cartier had to take away the numerals from the edge of the dial and I find the peripheral zone a little too much empty for my taste. Despite this remark, the dial remains balanced with the perfect consistency between the shapes of the minute scale, the edge of the numerals (which draw a rectangle) and the case. I believe that with a slightly smaller case, the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat would have been close to perfection by bearing a "better filled" dial. In any case, the fact that there isn't any date window is a relief: the purity and balance of the dial are preserved.


An element plays a very important role in the success of this watch. It is the beaded crown,  adorned with a sapphire which brings a great delicacy and a touch of preciousness. Despite its pointed shape, it can be easily handled thanks to  small spikes that facilitate the winding and the time-setting processes. This crown was in fact, not a concern for m, but one point to be checked: since the watch is powered by manual winding movement, its grip had to be easy and comfortable. This doubt was swept away and even if I do not have nimble fingers, the beaded crown did not cause me any problem: it was a pleasure to use it.

Indeed, the behavior of the crown is greatly facilitated by the quality and the features of the well proven manual winding movement which animates the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat. The caliber 430MC comes actually from a Manufacture which has a great expertise when it comes to design ultra-thin movements: Piaget. The 430MC is the name in the context of Cartier of the Piaget 430P which is characterized by its very fine height (2.1 mm), the stop-seconds, its 3hz frequency and the power reserve of 43 hours. This power reserve requires a daily manual winding that is very gently done.


Unquestionably, the daily ritual to give power to the movement gives a lot of pleasure and contributes to the charm of this watch. Due to its style, its aesthetics, its purpose, the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat could only be animated by a manual winding movement and the 430MC is an ideal caliber in this context. The own diameter of this round movement is reduced (20.5 mm) and to get the best case fineness, a solid caseback was required from the aesthetic point of view and from the respect of the atmosphere of the watch. The caseback is however quite nice to observe thanks to the eight side screws that fix it to the central part of the case. The back of the watch also allows to assess more accurately the lines of the Tank design and the role played by the shafts which provide at the same time character being prominent and smoothness thanks to their rounded ends.


I spoke earlier about the particular shape of the flat strap that reinforces the elegance of the watch despite the large distance between the lugs. The good surprise is the use of a buckle instead of the folding clasp that comes for example with the equivalent Santos Dumont manual winding. Is it a will to control the costs in order to make the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat more affordable? Anyway, this is great news for me. First, I think a buckle is more consistent with the atmosphere generated by this refined dress watch. Then I found it particularly successful. Its shape is subtle, referring to the "C" of Cartier while retaining a certain delicacy. It therefore provides a more sensual touch, a more rounded style in the context of a Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat which remains very geometric. Moreover, it is sufficient to maintain with efficiency the watch on the wrist taking into account the width of the bracelet and the reasonable weight of the case.


The Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat therefore accompanied me for a whole day in Brussels. I could immediately appreciate its comfort, its elegance, its readability and beyond tese qualities  its ability to be a real "every day" watch. Even if it is a watch with an "inert dial" because it does not have a second hand, it avoids the trap of boredom which may occur with similar watches. Indeed, the finishings of the dial and its purity, the case design and the crown add to it the extra perceived quality which ranks it among the top manual winding classic watches from big brands. The central position of the minute scale and its rectangular shape require a short period to get used with them and to read the precise time but once this step is done, the watch offers an optimal readability. The comfort on the wrist and the smoothness of the winding process greatly facilitate its use on a daily basis.


In practice, it seemed more versatile than I imagined at the beginning because of its size and its high lugs distance. It combines well with a very formal attire or with more casual clothes. Of course I speak of an aesthetic versatility and not of conditions of use since the waterproofness is only 20 meters. So I had a lot of pleasure to wear it and my first feelings about it were confirmed by this test: the Tank Louis Cartier extra-flat is a very successful watch that manages to be more than just an upscale variation of the Tank, but a piece made for an everyday use that can be worn thanks to its own "cool" elegance and refinement the working days and the weekend. I consider it as one of the most compelling Tank of the current collection and maybe the best way to get into the world of Cartier high-end watches. Its price, observed in October 2013 in France is 11,800 euros, far less than the two models of the Cartier collection operating in a similar range using the same movement, the Santos Dumont  and the  Ronde Louis Cartier 42mm which are proposed at prices equal or higher than 14,000 euros.


Thanks a lot to Nicolas of the Hall of Time boutique in Brussels.

Pros:
+ a very elegant slim case
+ the purity of the dial
+ the nice buckle pretty faithful to the spirit of the watch
+  the efficiency and the pleasure given by the 430MC movement

Cons:
- because of its large case size, the peripheral area of the dial seems a bit empty
- it could be considered as too large for a non-round watch

More posts: SantosSantos DumontTankTank AnglaiseTank Louis Cartier

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