Cartier Tank Basculante Mécanique

The famed Cartier Tank comes in all shapes and sizes, perhaps none of them as unique and compelling as the Basculante.

With its elegant guilloché dial and unique reversible case, the Tank Basculante stands out amongst Cartier's Tank models. Released in 1932, a year after the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, it certainly shares functional similarities with the better-known model from Le Senrtier: a carriage case in which the dial and movement are housed pivoting inside an outer case, to reverse and protect the dial side - much like the Reverso's. However, unlike Jaeger-LeCoultre’s design, which uses a single track 'slider' mechanism, the Basculante employs a swinging frame. When deployed, the inner carriage case looks as if it's on a seesaw. Hence the name, which comes from the French bascule, or seesaw. 

The Tank Basculante may seem to some a pale imitation of the Reverso, but the subtle differences set it apart. Small details such as the winding crown at 12 o'clock and subtle guilloché work on the dial  make the Basculante truly original. 

This particular Basculante is a rare and highly sought-after Mécanique version, powered by the Calibre 610 hand-wound movement. Its 25.5mm stainless steel case is in excellent condition, as is its white guilloché dial with printed Roman indices and elegant leaf-shaped, blued steel hour and minute hands. The hinged reversing mechanism functions as if it were brand new. This piece comes fitted to a signed black leather strap with stainless ardillon pin buckle, and includes service papers from Cartier London dated 2021.

Choosing a Cartier Tank is always a formula for dress watch success — but choosing a Basculante, with its signature reversible design, signals a particularly refined level of taste.

Despite being a purveyor of haute joaillerie, Cartier has had a long tradition of making watches.
It started in 1907, when founder Louis Cartier made what was one of the first wristwatches for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont. In the following years, the brand made a name for itself with its most famous wristwatch, the Tank, in all its multitudinous forms.
Cartier introduced the Tank in 1917 — which was supposedly inspired by the Renault FT-17 tanks seen on the battlefields of World War I — with a run of six pieces. (According to legend, these were given to American General John J. Pershing and his staff.) Cartier took the look of the Renault tank's treads and applied it to the watch’s lugs, which were integrated via brancards into the case itself. That first run of six pieces increased to thirty-three by 1920, and by the end of the 20th Century, that number stood well in the hundreds of thousands. Indeed, in sheer volume alone, the Tank — in all its various models — is Cartier's largest line of watches.
The Tank Louis was introduced in 1922, followed close on the heels of the Asian-influenced Tank Chinoise. The Chinoise, released amidst a mania for jewelry inspired by the Orient, has a square rather than rectangular case and lugs that resemble the portico of a Chinese pagoda.
From its debut, the Tank would see many variations, each in keeping with Louis Cartier’s taste for clean lines and perfect symmetry. Each variant — from the original Tank to the Tank Louis to the Cintrée with its flirtatious, curvaceous lines — has its passionate devotees. Rudolph Valentino, that sensual star of the silver screen, insisted on wearing his Tank onscreen in The Son of the Sheik, and Clark Gable, Andy Warhol, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were among those who sported a one throughout the years.
Other model lines, including the Santos (based upon the original model crafted for Alberto Santos-Dumont) and the Pasha, have developed devoted followers. Indeed, the maison is unique as one of the few jewelry brands to elicit as much passion from collectors as dedicated watch companies.

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

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We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.