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Everything about Tank MC explained

Among Cartier's watch models, the Tank series is probably the most famous.

This Tank is the pinnacle of the series, with the Tank Louis Cartier giving birth to a variety of derivative models.

for example,

"Tank American"

"Tank Francaise"

"Tank Anglaise (discontinued)"

"Tank Solo"

The "tank" at the beginning of the name indicates that it is a derivative of the tank.


The model we will introduce this time, the Tank MC, is the latest of the above models and was released in 2013 as a men's model.

The appeal of Tank MC

First, let's look at the origin of the name Tank MC.

The MC in Tank MC stands for "Manufacture Cartier."

This term "manufacture" refers to a watch manufacturer that is capable of not only designing and assembling watches, but also creating the movements, the most difficult part of watchmaking, all in-house.

For example, as an example of a long-established brand, Jaeger-LeCoultre was originally a company that specialized in making movements, but when it was able to produce other parts as well, it became a manufacture.

However, being able to make movements requires a great deal of skill, and it was only after the 1980s that well-known brands such as Rolex, Breitling, and Heuer were able to use their own movements.

So just by looking at the name Tank MC, you can tell that Cartier has made the movement in-house.

The History of In-House Movements

When you think of Cartier, you probably think of it as a brand of designer watches, right?

The impression I get is that they didn't put much effort into the movement.

I think that's an honest impression.

To begin with, Carti is a jewelry brand, and when it came to the movements in its watches, they basically used third-party movements.

This trend began to change with the start of the CPCP collection in 1998.

At the time, Cartier was part of the Richemont Group. "Jaeger-LeCoultre" "Piaget" " It was provided and co-developed by renowned manufacturers such as Girard-Perregaux, Svend Andersen, and ebauche manufacturer Frederic Piguet.

As a result, during this time Cartier had succeeded in accumulating a variety of technologies, including the basic techniques for hand-winding and automatic watches powered by mechanical parts, as well as complex mechanisms such as jumping hours and chronographs.

However, the watches made during this CPCP period had movements made for Cartier by other companies, so they could not be said to have been made from scratch by Cartier.

For more information about CPCP, please watch this video:

The CPCP Collection ended in 2008, and the next collection to be born was Collection Privé.

This was similar to the CPCP in that they only produced special watches, but what made them significantly different from the CPCP was that they were equipped with in-house movements.

All of the models released at this time were equipped with components designed and manufactured by Cartier.

Following the success of the Privé collection, Cartier added a model equipped with an in-house movement to its regular line, the Tank MC.

The movement used is the same in-house movement, "Cal.1904-PS MC," used in the Calibre de Cartier watch that was released in 2010 .

Using technology from the Privé collection, this movement has become an important addition to Cartier's general line.

This movement is known as Cartier's first mass-produced automatic movement and has a power reserve of 48 hours.

Thus, even when viewed objectively, Cartier understands itself as a design watch company, so movements made in-house carry a certain prestige, and the company wants to emphasize that "we can make our own movements!"

Let's take a look at the various designs of Tank MC.

The Tank MC is available in a variety of designs, and the standard stainless steel model features a classic silver dial with blued steel hands, creating a classic design.

The stainless steel case is available with both a black and blue dial, and the guilloche pattern makes the colors even more beautiful.

The pink gold model has a more luxurious feel and when combined with the black dial, it gives off a calm, mature impression.

Also, the back cover is unusually skeletonized by default for a Cartier watch.

While this type of skeleton has been featured in special models such as the Privé collection, it is extremely rare to see it used in a general line.

It seems that Cartier really wants people to see the movement that they have created in-house.

In fact, the movement itself has no cutting corners, and is decorated with Cotes de Genève motifs (vertical lines). This is not only done on the rotor, which is the part most visible from the surface, but also on the bridges underneath and around it, so it is a work that has taken a lot of time and effort.

The appeal of the design

Now let's take a look at the design of the Tank MC.

It is a model made for men, so even though it is a Tank, the case diameter is Its vertical size is 34.3 mm and its horizontal size is 44.0 mm , providing ample space for various functions.

By the way, Cartier usually offers other sizes as well, but the MC only comes in this size.

The first thing that catches your eye is the large small second hand, which is not often used by Cartier, placed at the 6 o'clock position, and the date display at the 3 o'clock position.

The indexes on the dial itself are traditional Roman indexes, but the numerals for the small seconds and date are Arabic numerals, creating a fusion of traditional and modern styles.

Additionally, the thickness of the watch gives it a rugged, sporty impression, which also lends it a modern feel.

The dial is decorated with guilloche engraving.

Guilloche engraving is usually only used in high-end models, but as explained earlier, the movement used in the Tank MC is classified as a general-purpose movement by Cartier, which allows them to keep costs down and offset the technical fees for the guilloche engraving.

from these things, It has more presence on the wrist than previous Tank models, but it doesn't stand out too much, maintaining Cartier's signature style.

Tank MC Chronograph

The Tank MC was also available as a chronograph.

Like the three-hand model, there are a variety of designs, but they are all typical Cartier and very cool.

Size It is 34.3 x 44.0 mm, the same size as the three-hand type.

Cartier's previous trend was to make chronographs larger than regular models, as can be seen in the Santos 100, but the Tank MC is unusual in that it is available in the same size.

The Santos 100 is explained in this video, so if you are interested, please check out this video as well.

I think this is probably because this product is also very elaborately made, so from a profitable perspective it was the best option to reuse the same case and reduce costs.

The movement installed is " The movement is "Cal.1904-CH MC ", which is of course also a movement made by Cartier.

The most notable feature of this movement is its use of a column wheel.

The part circled in red in the image is called a column wheel, and it is an essential part for operating a chronograph. Due to rising labor costs from around the 1970s, the cam type, which could be made by pressing, began to be adopted.

This column wheel must be handcrafted by a craftsman, so it is not widely used in today's world due to the time-consuming nature and high labor costs.

However, given that this movement uses a column wheel, it seems that the company wanted to demonstrate that it was able to make its own chronograph movements using a column wheel, even if it was at a great expense.

summary

I wasn't able to track down when it was discontinued, but it appears that it was available on the official website until 2019, so production must have stopped around that time.

It was a model that only had a short lifespan of six years, but I think the reason for this was probably because the value of it compared to its price was not properly communicated.

As explained above, this watch is equipped with Cartier's first superb movement and has a decorated dial, which is what makes it so expensive.

However, while it may be fine for those who know about it, for those who don't, Cartier may be perceived as ``just an expensive watch with an in-house movement.''

Cartier still has the image of being a company with excellent design.

But as I've said so far, there's no doubt that the Tank MC is a great watch.

With the launch of many models equipped with in-house movements like this, Cartier's image will likely be recognized as a true watch company.