42 Cartier A fine and attractive, Tank Basculante, rectangular-shape quartz wristwatch in steel, with white Roman numerals dial.

Estimate: Fr. 5'000 –⁠ 10'000

• Model Tank Basculante
• Year Circa 2000s
• Reference 2522
• Case Material Stainless steel
• Case Number 856092CD
• Bracelet Material Leather strap
• Movement Quartz, cal. 012, 8 jewels
• Dimension 27mm width x 40mm length
• Signed Case, dial and movement

Within Cartier’s century-long exploration of geometry, proportion, and mechanical ingenuity, the Tank Basculante occupies a rare and compelling niche, a design that bridges the Maison’s Art Deco lineage with a highly inventive mechanical twist. First conceived in the early 1930s in response to the era’s emerging fascination with reversible timepieces, most famously embodied by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, Cartier’s Basculante introduced its own take on the cabriolet concept, allowing the wearer to flip or tilt the case to protect the dial or reveal the caseback, transforming a simple wristwatch into a playful and tactile object of enduring interest. The reference 2522, produced around the late 1990s and early 2000s, revives this historic mechanism in a contemporary stainless steel execution, celebrating both Cartier’s heritage and its willingness to innovate within a classic framework. Instead of horizontal rotation like the Reverso, the Basculante’s case pivots vertically, a refinement of the reversible idea that feels uniquely Cartier in spirit and ingenuity. The present example’s stainless steel construction underscores the model’s versatility, at once robust and impeccably finished. Its elongated rectangular proportions echo the Tank family’s lineage, yet the Basculante’s mechanical personality gives it a presence all its own. The dial is classic Cartier: crisp Roman numerals, elegantly shaped blued steel hands, and a secondary small seconds indication that adds both functionality and visual balance to the composition.Today, the Tank Basculante reference 2522 is admired by collectors not for ubiquity, but for character: a watch that seamlessly marries Cartier’s storied Art Deco heritage with a playful, mechanical flourish rarely seen outside of specialized complications. It is a piece that invites engagement, rewards curiosity, and stands as a testament to Cartier’s ability to reinvent tradition without forsaking elegance