Cartier Tank Basculante
While the Tank is an established member of the Cartier family, the Basculante is the fun cousin, rarely seen but guaranteed to bring a smile to your face when it unexpectedly turns up to the party.
The Basculante was first produced in 1932 and features a folding “cabriolet” case – by pulling on the tab at 12 o’clock, the wearer is able to flip the centre of the case to reveal the inner case back and protect the face. Or, as I prefer, balance the case, and use the watch as a desk clock.
The model was retired until the late 1990s when Cartier released a number of versions, including this reference 2405. The steel case measures 24mm x 35mm, suitable for any wrist size, and paired with a leather or alligator strap, makes for a very handsome dress watch. Much like the Tank, most Basculante models feature a white Roman numeral dial but we are pleased to bring you the rarer grey dial with Arabic numerals. When you look closer, you can see that it has a subtle guilloche pattern, adding to that sense of luxury. Cartier discontinued the Basculante range in the mid-2000’s, meaning that there aren’t many available on the open market, fewer still in a condition as good as this piece. And while I would never claim that a watch will become “collectable” in the future, there is certainly something very special and charming about this folding watch, and it’s a piece that I think would fit well into any watch collection.