Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Wristwatch by Cartier, 1980s
- Maker / attribution
- Cartier (maker)
- Date
- 1980s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- France
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 25 mm
- Stock no.
- 40950196
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40950196)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Cartier Obus (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40950196), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in France, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 25 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 — Analog/Shift
No, it’s not a Tank. And yes, it deserves your attention! While Parisian jeweler to the stars Cartier may be best known in horological circles for its famed Tank Louis watch, there are numerous other Tank models that are both beautiful and compelling. Released in 1929, the Tank Obus is known for its unusual shape. Unlike other watches in the Tank line, the Obus is square, not the rectangular shape that many collectors have come to expect. But the most distinctive element of this watch is the shape of the lugs, which look like tiny bullets affixed to the ends of the case. This particular Obus is housed in a 25mm yellow gold case with stunning red enamel Roman numerals and a matching red ruby cabochon crown. Take a close look and you might do a double-take — the numerals are actually part of the case’s bezel, rather than the dial! The dial itself is fairly small, a white square devoid of all decoration except for a pair of blued steel hands. Powered by a manually-wound movement, this piece comes fitted to an absolutely sunning and striking, solid 18k yellow gold multi-link bracelet with partial diamond encrusting and a signed hidden deployant clasp. Dating to the 1980s and issued by Cartier Paris, this is a stunning gem of a Tank destined for the discerning collector who wants something slightly left of center.
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.
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