94 Cartier A unique, impressively elegant and exceptional, NSO Tank Chinoise, wristwatch in yellow gold with red burgundy dial, warranty, certificate of origin and presentation box, numbered 1.

Estimate: € 60.000 –⁠ 120.000

A watch can tell the time. A great watch can tell a story. But a truly exceptional one —like the present Cartier Tank Chinoise— can whisper history, architecture, and uniqueness all in a single glance. What is offered here is the product of Cartier’s quiet genius: a poetic reimagining of East meeting West. The bold brancards, inspired by the imposing porticos of Chinese temples, are as architectural as they are sculptural: rigid yet flowing, assertive yet serene. Finished in warm yellow gold and fitted with a dial of impossible richness —deep burgundy sunburst, set with roman numerals in a champagne hue— it is truly unique, made upon special request. One wears it to remember that design, when distilled to its purest form, can become timeless. The manually wound calibre 430 MC hums within the case like a heartbeat of an era gone by, now revived in a run so limited it bears the “No.1” engraving on the caseback underlining its uniqueness. To collectors, the Chinoise has always been one of Cartier’s most architectural expressions. But in this rare, unique, special request, execution —with the dial’s dramatic palette and exquisite profile— it transcends the Maison’s catalogue and joins a much smaller pantheon: those wristwatches that become iconic.