Presented here is a Cartier Tank Basculante 2390 Mécanique in a rare full set.

Cartier Tank was a tribute to the Allied Troops and their tanks. Hence, the name and the form. The model started in 1917 but was made public in 1919 once the peace had returned. Tank watches are easily recognisable because of their crossbars, sidepieces and their rectangular or square form. It belongs to the most important watches in history and it is one of the pillars of Cartier.

In 1933 the Tank line was expanded with the introduction of the Basculante. Retaining the rectangular shape the watch was engineered to be able to turn the body of the watch completely over to protect the face. Much like Cartier’s partner Jaeger LeCoultre’s Reverso, the Basculante catered for sports and other situations where the wearer needed to protect the watch’s glass. However, unlike the Reverso that turned on its horizontal axis, the Basculante was flipped vertically through 360 degrees.

The Cartier Tank 2390 mécanique was produced for a very short time and today, the mechanical version of the Tank is not something you see everyday.