The Cartier Journey - 15 Year Anniversary Watch
Here’s the whirlwind story of how the latest watch in my collection made its way onto my wrist 😀
BACKSTORY: I have it in my head that my “ideal core watch collection” (we should read that as “expensive luxury watches”) contains 3 primary pieces, specifically:
Land - this is a dress watch, and I thought for the longest time that it was going to be the JLC Reverso. I was entranced by the “watchmaker’s watchmaker” and how respected and adored JLC is in the watch community. Plus I thought the rectangular shape coupled with the flip mechanism was cool.
Sea - this is a diver watch, and it’s the Rolex Sea Dweller 43. It’s a Submariner on steroids and it’s larger in diameter (which I like, having tried on the Sub and walking away feeling like it was too small and thin) this watch, due to its price, is something we’re saving for.
Air - this is a pilot chronograph, and it’s basically been my grail watch since I was a kid - the Breitling Navitimer! This is also the watch that sort of kickstarted my serious watch collecting journey in 2020 (even though I bought my first “real” watch when I was 15 years old, my Citizen Skyhawk Blue Angels edition)
CORE STORY: My wife and I were fortunate enough to be able to celebrate our 15 year anniversary in London. While there we, amongst other things, decided to treat ourselves to some shopping. So we ended up at Harrods, which if you don’t know, is a high end (expensive) luxury shopping…building? Structure? Establishment. Yeah, that sounds right.
For fun, we decided to check out some Cartier jewelry and watches. I knew the Cartier Tank Must existed, and was intrigued, so I asked if I could see the Tank Must Large (which was the cheaper version as it was quartz powered) I put it on and I was instantly taken back at how beautiful it was. It wasn’t shouty. It wasn’t too discreet. It sat well, but it felt a little too small for my personal taste. And so naturally the nice gentleman behind the counter offered to show me the Tank Must XL, which was $1000 more ($4000 USD total) and was powered by the in-house mechanical Cartier caliber. I didn’t want to like it. I really, truly, didn’t. I knew it was more expensive. I also thought I had figured out my “land/dress watch” with the JLC Reverso. But uh…as you can see from the photo, I lit up like a Christmas tree and was basically beaming joy for a solid 15 minutes!
With my wife seeing me in this state, she pulled me aside and said “you know, we could buy this now and it could be a 15 year anniversary gift, we have the savings that we’ve been building out for the Rolex.” This made it even harder for me to say no, especially because I’ve been trying to convince her to buy a nice watch of her own that she could wear. The Tank Must is basically a timeless unisex watch that anyone can pull off (if Muhammad Ali AND Princess Diana could do it, anyone can do it) and so I basically saw myself walking out of the Cartier boutique with watch in hand!
CURVE BALL: In a rare moment of clarity, I realized that purchasing the Cartier Tank right then and there would put a significant dent in the Rolex savings account. A $4000 dent to be specific! This would mean I’d be delaying the purchase of the Rolex, which for all intents and purposes is a rarer timepiece, one that could be pulled from the Rolex shelves at any moment, forcing me to turn to the grey market, or purchase a used one. Once that realization settled into my brain, I quickly deflated and again, in a rare moment of self-control, handed the nice gentleman the watch back, thanked him for his time, and slowly walked away (looking back many MANY times!)
RESOLUTION: I kept thinking about the watch for the remainder of our trip in London. Fast forward, we got back home from our trip, settled back into our normal daily routines, and life moved on. One evening I’m chatting with my dad and he asks me “so how was the trip, what did you guys do/eat/see?” I tell him about all the stuff and the things, that I’m working on a travel video, etc. and knowing that he’s a watch person himself, I mention the Cartier and the whole experience I wrestled with. “I thought I wanted the JLC Reverso, I saw the Tank, it was glorious, almost bought it, but remained focused on the big Rolex purchase, so we walked away.” Hearing this, he interrupts and says “do me a favor, order the watch.” I immediately object, realizing that I should have kept my mouth shut. Naturally, any objections were futile - he won with “don’t take this joy away from me, I only have 1 son and I’d like to celebrate your 15 years of marriage with this gift that you both can enjoy.”
IN CLOSING: From not even considering the Cartier Tank as a watch I’d want to own one day, to questioning myself and throwing the JLC plan out the window, to almost buying it, to walking away from it, to now owning a beautiful timepiece that both my wife and I can wear, purchased by my father to celebrate our 15 years of marriage…it’s been a fun and emotional journey. Thanks for reading this far! 😊
EDIT: I got around to making a video on the Cartier Tank itself! You can watch it here:
Hi! I'm The Timist - I make video games so I can spend my $ on watches, and then make videos of said watches for my enjoyment on IG & YouTube :) https://www.youtube.com/@thetimist
Great story, and one helluva beautiful watch. I had dismissed Cartier as a jewelry brand until I started looking into them. Since discovering them, I've purchased a Santos de Cartier and most recently a pre-owned Pasha, and love them both. I definitely plan on adding a Tank to my collection at some point. You're really lucky to have both an understanding wife that supports your hobby (mine does as well), and a great father. Congratulations on the acquisition!
So, let me get this straight: the guy who runs a poll on what sort of watch people wear daily and purposely excludes the category of "dress" watch then writes a lengthy paean to a Cartier, a classic "dress watch."
Too long for me to read… just read Cartier so I’ll post mine…
Oops wrong tank… 😵💫
Beautiful story brother! Congratulations!
Great story, and one helluva beautiful watch. I had dismissed Cartier as a jewelry brand until I started looking into them. Since discovering them, I've purchased a Santos de Cartier and most recently a pre-owned Pasha, and love them both. I definitely plan on adding a Tank to my collection at some point. You're really lucky to have both an understanding wife that supports your hobby (mine does as well), and a great father. Congratulations on the acquisition!
Thanks so much! And yes, fully aware of how lucky I am 😊
Congrats on the Santos and Pasha, stunning pieces for sure! I wish more people would take the time to look past the "Cartier is a jewelry house, not a watchmaking house" and dig a little deeper. There's so much goodness to be had!
Wow, just wow. You are surrounded by people who really love you despite your watch sickness. Great story with a happy ending. My only suggestion is to rethink the dive watch.
So, let me get this straight: the guy who runs a poll on what sort of watch people wear daily and purposely excludes the category of "dress" watch then writes a lengthy paean to a Cartier, a classic "dress watch."
Hey, welcome to my world 😂 grab some snacks, maybe a drink, it's gonna be a fun ride!
Too long for me to read… just read Cartier so I’ll post mine…
Oops wrong tank… 😵💫
You know, that's fair I suppose 😂 that's a sweet Santos you got there 😉
Beautiful story brother! Congratulations!
Very much appreciated 🙏 thank you!
Wow, just wow. You are surrounded by people who really love you despite your watch sickness. Great story with a happy ending. My only suggestion is to rethink the dive watch.
I am indeed, and I don't deserve it 🤝
I know most would take issue with my diver choice. Since we're here, what would you recommend as a diver for someone that likes larger watches?
Here’s the thing, I’ve turned down a Tank numerous times, and similarly a Speedy. They are LOVELY watches, but they just do not “sing”.
Here’s the rub… if I’m going to drop a few thou on a watch, I’m going to want to go hard. 50/60s Vacheron, Corum Bubble… I‘m less inclined to go for a safe option.
Any super compressor is nicer than an original diver in my opinion. If you want a traditional diver go with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms with the caliber 1315, 120 hours reserve, beautiful shaped hands and numerals not the Bathyscaphe. It's the watch that started it all rather than a plagiarized version with a Mercedes Benz advertisement on the hour hand.
Thanks for sharing and happy anniversary
I'm glad to hear that many people were so happy for you to get the watch. Congratulations on the piece and also to 15 years of marriage!
FWIW here's my Cartier, which was a wedding gift from my wife's family 🙏
I usually don't make it to the end on longer than one paragraph post. Glad I stuck this one out. Enjoy the watch and the beautiful story associated with it. You are truly blessed my friend! Thanks for sharing that wonderful story.
Ok now I finished reading the whole story !! oh man!! Had tears in my eyes! I wished my Dad got me a Tank too 😉 but sadly mine passed away a few years ago and was never had the chance for me to gift him a nice watch, I wish I had the opportunity now that I can do that for him. Anyways enough about me Congrats on the Tank wear it well and proudly! 🍻…. Also my Santos was an anniversary gift as well…
Oh shucks! Well, thank you for that! Didn't mean to make it all emotional, but it sort of just came out that way 😊
I'm sorry to hear about your Dad. It's never too late to celebrate him, for yourself and for the family that surrounds you. I'm going to dedicate the Sea watch to my Grandfather who passed away last year (along with my Grandmother) he survived a lot of pressure, lived through some dangerous scenarios, and ultimately was tough enough to start a life in the US after immigrating here ❤
Thank you again for the kind words of support! The anniversary Santos you've shared - just beautiful 👌
Lovely story. You have a great wife and a great dad. Enjoy the watch!
Thank you! I really do, and I'm grateful for them every single day 🤝
My last attempt to get you away from that watch with the boring hands and boring indices and a shinny checker with a hole through it for a bezel.
Unique, sexy and costs two thousand dollars less so you have a little cash to spend on booze and broads.
Wow, that's out there! A bullhead Omega, very funky and different! I shall ruminate, but please don't yell at me if by the end of this year you'll see me post about the SD 43 😜
It’s really hard not to love the Cartier Tank. It’s such a classic and timeless design. Cartier has done a great job making it accessible and pricing it as an entry point to the rest of their collection. With quartz options bringing the price down (albeit still high for a quartz watch), they’ve really opened the eyes of a lot of collectors.
There’s no denying that Cartier has the heritage and technical chops for high end watch making. And the Tank is a good representation of that. I love my Solarbear Tank in Large size. And I’ve since added to my Cartier collection with a Santos, also in Large. I hope to one day add a watch from their Privé collection!
Beautiful Solarbeat Tank! They're SO hard to find though, and it was definitely on my radar. Alas, the XL Must stole my heart (as you know) 😊
I couldn't agree more with you - Cartier is absolutely crushing it, amazing design, build quality, historical provenance, and great price point!
Doesn’t get much better than a great watch with a great story. Enjoy it for many more years and anniversaries!
Thanks so much, really appreciate the kind words 🙏
Wow, that's out there! A bullhead Omega, very funky and different! I shall ruminate, but please don't yell at me if by the end of this year you'll see me post about the SD 43 😜
I've done all I can to keep you from falling under the spell of the evil empire. They're after your soul and your wallet. Fair well.
I've done all I can to keep you from falling under the spell of the evil empire. They're after your soul and your wallet. Fair well.
Would it help if I were to tell you that a Speedmaster HAS captured my heart, but that it has to wait until I do first day orientation at the evil empire...and also allow for enough time to pass by so that we forget how much the evil empire initiation cost us before we speak of the 4th watch? 🥺
I prefer the Tank XL to the Reverso for how it sits on my wrist. I’ve always found the Reverso to feel a bit ungainly. I’m loving the Tank.
My initial suggestion for a large diver would be the BPFF but I would not rule out the GO SeaQ Panorama Date either. There are also some Ulysse Nardin that seem to be a love it or hate it proposition.
My choice of large diver was the BPFF Bathyscaphe and I am perfectly happy with that choice.
I prefer the Tank XL to the Reverso for how it sits on my wrist. I’ve always found the Reverso to feel a bit ungainly. I’m loving the Tank.
My initial suggestion for a large diver would be the BPFF but I would not rule out the GO SeaQ Panorama Date either. There are also some Ulysse Nardin that seem to be a love it or hate it proposition.
My choice of large diver was the BPFF Bathyscaphe and I am perfectly happy with that choice.
I think that played a big role in my change of heart in regards to the Reverso/Tank - how it sits on my wrist. Congrats no the Tank by the way! Looks fantastic on you 👍
Thanks for the diver suggestions! You're the second person to try and steer me away from Rolex and towards Blancpain 😊 I don't know, I've never really had any attraction to Blancpain. I've seen them in real life, tried on a few, but nothing clicked. Although to be fair, I hated Panerai in the past, and now I think they're super cool 😀 thanks for sharing!
I think that played a big role in my change of heart in regards to the Reverso/Tank - how it sits on my wrist. Congrats no the Tank by the way! Looks fantastic on you 👍
Thanks for the diver suggestions! You're the second person to try and steer me away from Rolex and towards Blancpain 😊 I don't know, I've never really had any attraction to Blancpain. I've seen them in real life, tried on a few, but nothing clicked. Although to be fair, I hated Panerai in the past, and now I think they're super cool 😀 thanks for sharing!
While I like the Sub, I find the Sea Dweller to be top heavy and unbalanced. It’s not just a bigger Sub. I couldn’t wear it comfortably.
I‘m certain there are more comfortable big divers out there, maybe even the GS.
While I like the Sub, I find the Sea Dweller to be top heavy and unbalanced. It’s not just a bigger Sub. I couldn’t wear it comfortably.
I‘m certain there are more comfortable big divers out there, maybe even the GS.
I've tried the Sea Dweller on, it's definitely a bigger beast, but I quite like that. GS was definitely on my radar, they've got some sleek pieces and the finishing is 👌
What a great story, absolutely loved reading this! Congrats on the new timepiece. I have to commend you on the self restraint…not sure I would’ve been able to walk away myself!
What a great story, absolutely loved reading this! Congrats on the new timepiece. I have to commend you on the self restraint…not sure I would’ve been able to walk away myself!
Thanks so much 🤗 believe me I’m not a very disciplined man, So that restraint I exhibited was most definitely OUT of the ordinary 😄 thanks for the kind words!
🙂 good read and congrats on 15 years
I hope your guys enjoy it :)
🙂 good read and congrats on 15 years
I hope your guys enjoy it :)
Thanks, we appreciate it 😀