1 of 30 Green Cartier Tank Americaine Platinum 1734D

I would like to begin by making a distinction. I’ve been corrected by people who know far about the subject than myself that style is the equivalent of fashion, removed from time. Style is eternal, fashion is of the moment; they are not synonymous. Cartier has always been presented by collectors, and themselves, as a design-first watchmaker. However, perhaps more than most, Cartier’s design is aimed toward timelessness. The mark of a truly great watch is its eternal desirability. That is certainly true of the Tank, a design which has evolved through the ages toward only style. That said, if one wanted a riff on the Tank that sprinkles in just the slightest degree of en-vogue-fashion, it would be hard to ignore this green dial Americaine LE.

Proportion is crucial to the way a watch feels, wears, and presents. The Americaine is the more robust, ‘American’ proportion of the classic Tank, released relatively recently in 1989. The initial intent was to market towards men, however, I find the Americaine is a very versatile un-gendered dress piece for those who appreciate unique proportion. Not many cases of this volume are this vertical. Cartier didn’t just keep up in the era of large watches, they did it entirely in their own 44x27mm style. The large case had an elegant curve along the wrist, which makes it wear much more gracefully and slighter than you might think.

But size isn’t everything and this particular Americaine kicks things up a notch, created for the Italian market as a thank you to collectors and retailers in a thirty example limited run in the mid 2000s. The dial is finished in something close to an old British racing green, with a full guilloché and cartier signature integrated into the leg of the Roman seven numeral. The case is platinum. The last example of this reference I remember surfacing went through Phillips two years ago, they are not common fare.

This example has a lovely case condition with only very light wear. The dial is perfect as one would expect of this neo-vintage production. It comes on its original strap which looks hardly touched. Original box is included, but no papers. It comes from a well-regarded retailer.

Find this green Tank Americaine here from Xupes Watches for 40000 GBP.