Cartier Tank Louis Cartier, ref. 6711, circa 1990's — view 1 of 2
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Cartier Tank Louis Cartier, ref. 6711, circa 1990's

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.
Maker / attribution
Cartier (brand / maker)
Date
circa 1990's
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
18k yellow gold
Dimensions
19 x 26 (with lugs)
Lot
Lot 390-188
Credit line
Auction lot record: LOT 188
Catalogue title (original)
CARTIER, SWITZERLAND, REF. 6711, TANK LOUIS CARTIER, 18K YELLOW GOLD

View the source record (auction lot) ↗

Record summary

Catalogued by Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva (lot Lot 390-188), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in Switzerland, dated circa 1990's. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18k yellow gold. Recorded dimensions: 19 x 26 (with lugs). The record is illustrated with 2 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Antiquorum catalogue description

A fine, rare and attractive, 18k yellow gold, manual wind wristwatch

Lot specifications (Antiquorum)

Caliber: 17 jewels; Case No.: 72707; Bracelet: 18k yellow gold Cartier bracelet with deployant clasp, approx. overall length 145 mm.; Signature: dial, case and movement; Accessories: Cartier overhaul invoice dated December 2025 (under warranty for 2 years)

Provenance

Property of a Japanese lady

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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