The Cartier Tank à Guichets Makes A Striking Comeback of the 1928 Jumping Hour Classic.

The Cartier Tank à Guichets deviates from the modern standard, elevating the time-only watch.

Cartier Tank Manual Winding 9755MC with leaping hours and dragging minutes; 43-hour power reserve.

The Cartier Tank à Guichets is an exceptional enhancement to the Tank collection, introducing a distinctive jumping hours complication that is unparalleled within the contemporary Tank lineage. Guichets translates to "windows" in French, thus reflecting the Tank à Guichets' innovative design, which deviates from conventional time display by dividing its indication into two windows on a minimalist surface—one for hours and the other for minutes.

This Tank watch style significantly diverges from the modern Tank design, characterized by blue sword-like hands and iconic Roman numerals, however it is not wholly unprecedented. The Privé series is inspired by Cartier's illustrious heritage; the Tank à Guichets was initially introduced in 1928. The concept originated from Louis Cartier's relentless pursuit of simplicity, and due to the rise of trains and automobiles, the need of speed in daily life necessitated the ability to read time more swiftly.

Cartier produced numerous models during the 1930s, although the most recent appearance of the Tank à Guichets was in 2005. This belonged to the Collection Privée Cartier Paris, limited to only 100 pieces in rose gold. This year, the Tank à Guichets returns robustly, featuring a first reference that resembles the version introduced in 2005, now available in rose gold, yellow gold, and platinum. The hand-wound calibre 9755MC, with jumping hours and creeping minutes, was designed just for this watch. Fortunately, it appears that these watches will be produced in restricted quantities, though not as limited editions.

Individuals seeking a more special iteration of the Tank à Guichets may consider an alternative platinum version of the reference, including a little altered display arrangement. This closely resembles vintage driver’s timepieces featuring a slightly angled dial design, allowing the time to be viewed while the wearer’s hands securely grasp the steering wheel. This iteration of the watch is restricted to merely 200 numbered units.

Despite being merely time-only watches, their case material elevates them to the elite levels of Cartier watchmaking. For individuals seeking a more economical option, a new, larger Tank Louis Cartier has also been introduced.