Mario Canonizado 
At long last, another Cartier Cult Classic has returned! Through the Privé collection once again comes the resurrected Tank à Guichets: an old-school, yet new-age take on time-telling.
If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a sequel – especially when it’s been a long time coming! I was first in line for The Incredibles 2 and Top Gun: Maverick, and I still remember hopping onto the hype train for The Force Awakens as a teen. So, it’s no surprise that my enthusiasm for ‘the new from the old’ has carried over into the watch world – I love seeing classic timepieces make a comeback! In that respect, Cartier has never failed to impress with its annual tradition of reviving heritage references through the Privé collection. And if there’s one thing Cartier loves, it’s outdoing itself: In 2023, they brought back the Tank Normale, followed by the reintroduction of the Tortue collection last year. For Watches & Wonders 2025, Cartier is raising the bar once again by bringing the legendary Tank à Guichets back into the Privé lineup!
Right off the bat, I know that the Tank à Guichets may be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before: A completely solid dial, save for some cut-outs in the top and bottom of the watch for two sets of Arabic numerals. You might even believe that this new watch is either a novelty demonstration of innovation, or a futuristic directional shift in Cartier’s watchmaking principles. However, the heritage of this incredibly alien design goes a lot deeper than you might think.
While almost everyone knows the story behind the Cartier Tank, far fewer know the story of how the Tank à Guichets came to be. In the early 20th century, speed was key: Planes, trains, and automobiles were faster than ever, and time needed to be read in an instant. While Cartier’s previous inventions, such as the Cartier Santos Dumont, were already immensely practical, Louis Cartier felt that there was still room left to innovate. So, just six years after the release of the Tank Louis Cartier, the Parisian brand introduced the Tank à Guichets (“Tank with Counters”) in 1928 – an avant-garde reimagining of timekeeping. Instead of the traditional method of telling time with hands, the Tank à Guichets utilised a digital display, replacing the dial with a fully streamlined, full-metal case. The only interruptions to the smooth surface were two cut-outs – one at twelve o’clock for the hours and another at six o’clock for the minutes – each containing rotating discs with Arabic numerals. While undeniably bold, the design may have been too ambitious for its time; it’s believed that only 24 pieces were produced in the span of four years. Nevertheless, the Tank à Guichets embodied Cartier’s enduring pursuit of elegance in simplicity.
Fast-forward to Cartier’s 150th anniversary, and the watch industry had just caught its second wind. The Quartz Crisis was in the rearview, and Cartier had firmly established itself as a powerhouse in the horological world. To mark the occasion, they reintroduced the Tank à Guichets in 1997 with a limited run of 150 pieces, giving passionate collectors a chance to experience aush a unique part of Cartier’s history for themselves. A few years later in 2005, it made another appearance as part of the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP) collection – this time in an even scarcer 100-piece edition. Now, in 2025, the Tank à Guichets is finally earning a permanent place in the modern Privé lineup.
With three new core references alongside another special limited edition of 200 pieces, 2025’s Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets collection measures 33mm wide and 37.6mm long, sporting a demure 6mm thinness. In precisely the manner you’d expect such an avant-garde design would be, the Tank à Guichets has been decked out in precious metals – two in 950 platinum with red text, and two in 18 karat yellow or rose gold with black text. Despite its modest silhouette, the combined lustre and weight of these precious metals ensure that the watch maintains a substantial wrist presence, perfectly in line with the luxurious sensibilities characteristic of Cartier’s designs.
True to the original – and its subsequent reissues – the new Tank à Guichets features a completely solid metal dial, brushed to create the illusion of the metal seamlessly consuming the watch face. Breaking up the streamlined finishing are the two cut-outs, polished and bevelled for maximum legibility to draw the eyes of the wearer to its time-telling capabilities. For the three core references, the apertures have been positioned at the usual twelve and six o’clock, featuring a jump-hour complication accompanied by a gradual dragging minutes disk below.
While Arabic numerals aren’t exactly the norm for Cartier, the watch still retains the brand’s distinctive railroad-style minute track. This detail appears within the curved minute disc at six o’clock, which also features a pointed indicator for easy time referencing. The fourth reference, however, serves as yet another addition to the roster of limited-edition Tank à Guichets references. Where it differs from its brethren is in its unique time display, repositioning the apertures to ten and four o’clock instead of the usual twelve and six. As Cartier states, this has been done to pay tribute to the aesthetics of the 1930s – a period of aesthetic and creative innovation from which the Tank à Guichets spawned.
Finally, Cartier has also elected to debut a brand-new movement in the 9755 MC. A manual-wind movement, several modifications have been made to ensure that the modern rendition of the Tank à Guichets is as true to life towards the original as possible. The 9755 MC features a vertical crown at twelve o’clock, as well as modifications that allow for both digital time complications. While Cartier has yet to release any further information about the movements capabilities, my best guess is that the 9755 MC is a rendition of the already-existing 9753 MC, which sports a capable 3Hz (21,600 VpH) beat rate atop a 43-hour power reserve.
My Thoughts
When Chamath revealed to me that the Tank à Guichets was going to have a permanent re-release for Watches and Wonders this year, I jumped at the chance to write about it. It’s such a unique timepiece within Cartier’s illustrious history, and so uncharacteristic of their modern image. The common perception surrounding Cartier is that their designs are timeless, perfectly preserving the Art Deco aesthetic for generations. The Tank à Guichets is almost the exact opposite, breaking many of Cartier’s established conventions while still remaining true to the spirit of Louis Cartier’s own original creations.
While the expansion of Cartier’s Privé collection has become somewhat of an annual tradition, the decision to bring back a watch as ambitious as the Tank à Guichets speaks volumes. Few brands have treated their own history and heritage with as much respect as Cartier, and the Tank à Guichets serves as both a tribute to that heritage and a bold step back into the realm of haute horlogerie. With its debut at the world’s most prestigious watch festival, the Cartier Tank à Guichets beautifully embodies the concept of ‘the new from the old,’ making it the perfect horological sequel to what is now the perfect trilogy.
References: WGTA0234 (Yellow Gold)/WGTA0235 (Rose Gold)/ WGTA0236 (Platinum)/ WGTA0237 (Platinum, Limited)
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 33mm case diameter x 37.6mm lug-to-lug x 6mm thickness
- Case Material: 950 platinum/18k yellow or rose gold
- Dial: Solid dial with digital time (hour, minute) apertures
- Movement: Manual wind 9755 MC with vertical crown and digital time (jump hour, dragging minute) complications
- Power Reserve: 43h
- Strap: Black/green/red/gray alligator leather with matching metal pin buckle
