4 Cartier An incredibly rare, elegant and refined, Tank Cintrée, rectangular-shape manual wristwatch in yellow gold, with silvered and black roman numerals dial, and herringbone yellow gold bracelet.

Estimate: Fr. 50'000 –⁠ 100'000

• Model Tank Cintrée
• Year Circa 1950s
• Case Material 18K yellow gold
• Case Number 37'797
• Bracelet Material 18K yellow gold Cartier bracelet, approximate length 185mm
• Movement Manual, 18 jewels
• Movement Number 486'237
• Dimension 23mm width x 46mm length
• Signed Case, dial and movement

Introduced in 1921, the Tank Cintrée represents one of Cartier’s most refined explorations of form during the golden age of Art Deco design. The name Cintrée, French for “curved” or “arched”, refers to the watch’s defining characteristic: its elongated case gently bows across the wrist, transforming the strict geometry of the original Tank into a more fluid and ergonomic silhouette. Conceived not only as an aesthetic exercise but also as an advancement in wearability, the Cintrée remains among the most sophisticated interpretations of the Tank ever produced. The present example perfectly illustrates the architectural elegance that distinguishes the model. Narrower and more elongated than the standard Tank, the curved case follows the contour of the wrist with remarkable naturalism, creating a sense of visual lightness despite its assertive proportions. Seen in profile, the softly arched construction gives the watch an almost sculptural quality, a hallmark of Cartier’s experimentation with geometric forms during the early 1920s. Its dial preserves the classic Cartier vocabulary established in Paris during the interwar years: black Roman numerals, chemin de fer minute track and blued steel hands arranged within the elongated rectangular frame. These restrained details, combined with the purity of the Cintrée’s proportions, embody the balance between modernity and elegance that defined Cartier’s horological creations of the period. Of particular significance is the French-made case bearing the hallmark of the eagle’s head, the official French assay mark for 18 carat gold. Such hallmarks confirm French production and remain highly valued by collectors for their historical integrity and direct association with Cartier Paris manufacture during its most celebrated era. Developed in close collaboration with Edmond Jaeger, whose firm supplied movements to Cartier throughout the early twentieth century, the Tank Cintrée belongs to a remarkable generation of avant-garde Cartier designs that also included the Tank Allongée and Cloche. Produced in comparatively limited numbers and long regarded as one of the maison’s purest wristwatch designs, the Cintrée today stands not merely as a watch, but as an enduring icon of twentieth-century decorative arts.