*Mint* 2021 Cartier Tank Cintrée 18K YG (Ref. 2718 / WGTA0057) "100th Anniversary" W/ Full Set

The Cartier Tank is one of the most iconic watch designs of all time. The original "Normale" design was introduced in 1917, but became commercially available in 1919 and was inspired by the Renault FT-17 tank used by the French Military in the First World War. Shortly after the creation of that first Tank wristwatch, Cartier expanded upon that original design by experimenting with variations in case shape and size.

Among the ranks of the Cartier Pebble and the Crash, the Tank Cintrée is widely respected as one of the most desirable and influential watches ever produced by the Maison. Originally introduced in 1921, the Cintrée name directly translates to "Arch" in English, which perfectly describes the elongated and curved interpretation of the original Tank design.

The 100th anniversary of the first Tank Cintrée was in the year 2021. In celebration, Cartier introduced an extremely true-to-the-original interpretation of the heritage model as a very limited offering of only 150 total pieces. To say the least, "extraordinary" does not do this watch justice in describing its level of execution. Cartier created a completely unique case, which is much thinner and even more curved than the modern Cintrée case design, to reflect the original specifications as closely as possible. The cream-colored dial with "exploding" Roman numerals was manufactured very similarly to the original process as well, and features an incredible amount of dimension, with a flat center portion that curves drastically towards the 12 and 6 o'clock to fit within the arched shape of the case. Paired with bright blue Breguet-style hands and a long sapphire cabochon crown to complete its vintage-inspired aesthetic. 

This specific example remains in "as delivered from the factory" condition as it was never worn by the original owner and always kept in its original box.