Skip to content
Cartier Tank 'Must De' Lemon Roman - Original Owner, 1978 — view 1 of 6
View 1 of 6 · Image: Huntington Company · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Cartier Tank 'Must De' Lemon Roman - Original Owner, 1978

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Cartier (maker)
Date
1978
Country of origin
France
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 23 mm
Stock no.
Product 7363835723959
Credit line
Dealer listing, Huntington Company (product 7363835723959)
Catalogue title (original)
1978 Cartier Tank 'Must De' Lemon Roman Complete Set - Original Owner (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Huntington Company (dealer) (stock number Product 7363835723959), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in France, dated 1978. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 23 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 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

Dealer description — Huntington Company

Condition Analysis This lemon pepper example comes with a complete set. The watch is in amazing condition, with some wear on the gold plating seen on the lugs. The dial is in amazing condition with no cracking. The watch comes with its original strap and buckle with the set. This was owned by the original owner and purchased in 1978. Description Year: 1978 Model: Must De Cartier Tank Case Diameter: 23mm Lug to Lug: 30mm Case: Gold Plated Sterling Silver Condition: No significant wear as seen Dial: Great condition Movement: Manual Winding Curator Thoughts A timeless staple, the Cartier Tank. A simple, time-only, watch that could be worn anywhere and with anything. A design that has stayed true to what it started out to be. The Cartier tank deserves to be in every watch collection. Its size might be smaller than most watches but that doesn't mean it doesn't look great on the wrist. The best part is, this affordable Must De version is a complete set.

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

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.

Read next:Detached lever escapementIdentification Centre

Related records