Few watches are faked as often as Cartiers. The Tank is a classic, the design is simple, and that is exactly what makes it attractive to counterfeiters. If you are looking for a Must Tank on classified sites or at auction, you will find genuine pieces, but unfortunately also quite a few that only look the part.
We check every watch before it comes into our shop. Here I write down what that check involves. This is not a manual that lets you spot every fake with certainty, because that is not possible without tools and experience. But it should help you know which questions to ask a seller.
1. The caseback
Turn the watch over. On a Must Tank the caseback is screwed down, and the engravings should be clean and even: the Cartier name, the material, the origin, a reference number and an individual serial number.
Be suspicious if the engraving looks flat, blurry or crooked. And if someone offers you several watches with the same serial number, that is a clear warning sign.
But be careful with blanket rules. There are also older Tanks from before the Must line, the so called pre Must models. Their casebacks carry much less information. That does not make them suspicious, it is simply a different generation. With these watches, a look at the movement is what counts.
2. The silver hallmark
A Must Tank Vermeil has a sterling silver case, marked 925 on the back. On older pre Must models this marking can be missing. What matters is that the markings and the watch match, and if in doubt, it is worth looking at the movement. You can read more about vermeil in my article Cartier Vermeil explained.
3. The crown
The crown on the Tank has fine fluting and carries a blue cabochon. On a genuine watch the stone is neatly set and nicely domed. Cheap copies often have a flat, dull or crooked stone, or the fluting on the crown looks coarse.
A word of caution: crowns do get replaced over the years. A replacement crown does not automatically mean a fake. It should be mentioned in the description, though.
4. The dial
A loupe or a good phone photo with zoom is worth using here. The Roman numerals on a genuine Tank are sharply printed, with clean edges and even spacing. The lettering must de Cartier and the Swiss at the bottom next to the six are clear and fine.
Many Cartier dials also carry a hidden signature: in one of the Roman numerals, often the VII or the X, the word Cartier is worked into the strokes in tiny letters. You can only see it under magnification. If it is missing, that alone is no proof, because dials differ depending on the year of production. But if it is sloppy or misspelled, that is a bad sign.
5. The hands
The hands on a Tank Must are usually blue. On a genuine watch the blue is even and has a slight shimmer, and the tips are finely made. Coarse, overly thick or cheaply painted hands are a reason to look more closely.
6. The movement
This is the point you usually cannot check yourself as a buyer, and at the same time the most important one. A genuine Must Tank contains a movement with a Cartier signature, either quartz or manual wind depending on the model. Fakes often contain simple, unsigned movements.
Only someone trained to do it should open the watch. So ask the seller for a photo of the opened movement. A reputable dealer has one or can send it to you.
7. The buckle
The original Cartier pin buckle is cleanly finished and carries the Cartier signature. On many vintage watches the leather strap is no longer original, which is normal, because leather does not last forty years. The buckle, on the other hand, is often still the original and a good point of reference.
What a box and papers really prove
Less than many people think. Boxes and papers can be faked just like watches, and with vintage watches the original papers are often missing altogether. A watch with a box is not automatically genuine, and a watch without papers is not automatically fake. What matters is the watch itself.
And the price?
A genuine Must Tank in good condition has its price. If a supposedly perfect Tank is offered well below the usual market price, there is usually a reason. It could be a defect, poor condition, or simply that it is not genuine.
How we do it
Before a watch comes into our shop, it goes to our certified watchmaker. She opens every watch, checks the case, dial, hands and movement and compares everything against each other. Only when she is sure does the watch go on to servicing and refurbishment.
With every watch you receive a certificate of authenticity and one year of warranty. And, as with any online purchase, you have a fourteen day right of withdrawal. If you would rather hold the watch in your hands before buying, you are welcome to visit our showroom in Offenburg.
And if you have seen a Tank somewhere and are not sure about it: send me the photos. I will tell you honestly what I notice.
Related: Cartier Tank Must: SM or LM? Which size fits?
Simon