Provocative and audacious, the Cartier Tank Cintrée was absolutely ahead of its time. Blazing an entirely unique path in ergonomic watch design, Louis Cartier used his design prowess to create a timepiece that followed the contours of a wearer’s wrist. Featuring a curved case and crystal, the genius of its design resides in its caseback construction. Seemingly flat to the naked eye, the caseback is built with a movement housing built into the inside, minimizing thickness and allowing its shapely aesthetics and spectacular design to breathe. Created in three different size variations, the 9 lignes, or known better as the ‘Jumbo,’ is without question the most desirable, with its long rectangular case silhouette exaggerating its curvaceous architecture and dial presentation. This Cartier Tank Cintrée ‘Jumbo’ dates back to the late 1960s, and features a 23mm x 46mm 18k yellow gold case with its signature curved case line and acrylic crystal, polished bezel, octagonal winding crown with a sapphire inset and an accompanying black alligator leather strap with a period-correct 18k yellow gold Ardillon deployant buckle. With depth and infinite charm, the dial displays printed Roman indices, a central minute track and a matching blued-steel sword handset. Powered by a Cartier signed manually-wound movement produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, this example remains in excellent condition throughout, offering crisp engravings and Cartier hallmarks. This model also provided the inspiration for Cartier's recent Anniversary editions -which are very nearly as sought-after! Worn dutifully by the likes of Mr. Ralph Lauren and Mr. Gianni Agnelli, you’d be hard pressed to find a vintage Cartier with as much presence, style and design as this one.
