Cartier’s Privé collection, now in its ninth instalment, has more than earned its place as one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year, and the 2025 release did not disappoint. Watches & Wonders saw the return of the Tank à Guichets, a legendary design that feels right at home in the here and now.

The historic Tank à Guichets dates back to 1928 and is perhaps most famous for being seen on the wrist of jazz icon Duke Ellington. Now, Cartier has plenty of iconic designs to lean on, but it’s quite surprising that it took them nearly a century to revisit this outstanding digital display. But in retrospect, it’s perhaps a good thing that it took the brand until now to return to the design. The strength and power of this nearly mythical model hasn’t been diluted with successive interpretations and revisions. To see it take centre stage after so long an absence — especially in such a strong reinterpretation — is incredibly satisfying.

Duke Ellington wearing a Tank à Guichet watch circa 1930

The yellow gold model for the 1928-style Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets adopts olive script against an opaline dial. Image: Revolution ©

The core of the Tank à Guichets is three watches, alike in dignity, case in platinum, yellow and rose gold. These three watches are, interestingly, not limited editions and fundamentally share the same design, with a jump hour aperture at 12 and a dragging minute display at six. It’s remarkably faithful to the vintage pieces, with the major difference being there’s a bit more balance space between the hours and the minutes. The dial, so to speak, is a smooth, slab-like facade of metal with no detail except for the two windows. Not even a logo. The movement is a specially developed manual wind, the 9755 MC, with a discreet crown at 12. The final member of the family is limited to 200 pieces and is another platinum number, only this time, the displays have been rotated 90 degrees, creating a layout that is abstract as it is sculptural.

Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets

What we think of it

Cartier is a remarkable brand in that it can create a watch that is almost a pure design object that would still be more than suitable for regular wear. It would be easy to think, looking at the pictures of this watch, that it is somehow fussy. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Take away the fact that this is an exceptionally well-finished chunk of precious metal, and the Tank à Guichets is a practical, legible watch — almost industrial in its appearance and appeal. It also, importantly, feels great on the wrist. At almost 25mm across and 37.6mm tall, it preserves the proportions of the past, while not feeling petite.

Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets. Image: Revolution ©

Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets (Revolution©)

The new Tank à Guichets house the manual-winding 9755 MC in a case measuring 6mm thick. Image: Revolution ©

It’s also incredibly charming. A high-fidelity slice of history that captures, for all that it lacks, a conventional watch face still boasts a pleasing ‘smile’ in the form of that dragging minute display.

The limited edition platinum model deserves some special attention. If the ‘regular’ model is all about honouring the past, this limited edition feels like Cartier in the 21st century flexing its design muscles and playing with the form of the watch. Both displays have shifted in their axis and in their placement on the dial. The hours are top left rather than centre, while the smiling minutes is now a right-aligned ‘tick’. It’s the sort of whimsical approach to watch design that can go wrong, but Cartier is so assured in its skills and design sensibility that this new layout feels special and fun. It’s worth noting that if you wear this on your left wrist and look down at the time as you are, say, typing, the numbers would appear to be upside down. I understand that this is likely a design choice required by the layout of the movement and not something likely to deter the lucky 200, but instead, you could argue that this specific Tank à Guichets is intended as a Destro model.

Tech Specs: Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets

Movement: Manual-winding 9755 MC
Functions: Jump hours and dragging minutes
Case: Platinum, yellow or rose gold, 37.6 x 24.8 x 6mm
Strap: Alligator leather in black, green, grey or burgundy, depending on model
Price: EUR 43,000 in yellow or pink gold, EUR 50,000 in platinum, EUR 55,000 in limited edition platinum
Availability: Angled platinum model limited to 200 pieces