1980s Cartier Tank LC 18K YG (Ref. 96019) "Extra Plate"

The Cartier Tank has become one of the most iconic watch designs of all time, and other than some more eclectic references produced has remained relatively the same over its long run of production. The Cartier Tank was originally designed in 1917 and became commercially available in 1919, and its design was inspired by the Renault FT-17 tank used by the French Military in the First World War. Although the Cartier Tank appears to have remained the same for the course of its design life, there are some interesting anomalies that happened during its production run that resulted in very collectible and very rare timepieces.

This Carter Tank Louis Cartier, or Tank LC, is best known amongst collectors as the "Extra Plate" or "Extra Thin" and is one of the thinnest Cartier watches ever produced and features a total thickness of 4.9mm including the crystal. This impressive feat is achieved through the utilization of the renowned Frederic Piguet Cal. 21 ultra-thin mechanical movement. Though this Cartier Tank LC Extra Plate is one of the thinnest watches Cartier ever made, it retains the standard height and width dimensions of the Tank LC in this era. This makes for a perfect dress timepiece, both beautiful and elegant with the added benefit of sliding under the shirt cuff with ease.