Reviewing the Inspiration to Buy Crypto

Fairly recently I read an article that Muhammad Ali, Steve McQueen, and Andy Warhol wore Cartier tanks. I grew up thinking that the brand was for ladies and more so that watch design. So, stereotypes broke open and suddenly in my mind, “I wanna be that cool but I really can’t spare three thousand bucks!” A few weeks later YouTube recommends this review of REALLY CHEAP homages of the basic tank model.

So, I can (try to) be as cool as those dudes for only US$19?? I’m in!

Unbelievably, in Lazada, our local (Philippines) version of Amazon, the Sanda official store was showing a selling price of the equivalent of $13. Adding the savings of a sale season and a coupon, I actually got it at about $10! I was already having so much fun BEFORE the watch was in my hands.

My measurements:

Case size 28 x 29mm

Thickness 7mm

Lug-to-lug 34.5mm 

Lug width 20mm 

When it arrived, I noticed the first thing they saved money on was packaging. No box or case, just the watch, folded, placed in three layers of plastic, lots of bubble wrap, stuffed in the shipping parcel. That’s it. I got a bit nervous opening it to see if it was working. (Obviously, it survived the trip from China.)

Based on the YouTube reviews, the case is a plated alloy, though the shopping site says it’s stainless steel. From afar, it doesn’t really matter, but up close you can see some little bumps and imperfections in the finish. I like the fact that the dial is actually more silver than white, especially in direct sunlight. The inner case has a nice reflective surface that adds another touch of class to the overall look.

I’ve never really held a Cartier tank, but based on photos, they also copied the leather strap and closure. The leather feels like it’s pretty poor quality. I have a small 6.25inch wrist, so I had to fold a lot of the tongue part to make it fit. It is pretty simple to do. So no qualms about that. On the wrist, It doesn't hug the wrist like nice leathers do. It doesn’t look terrible, just maybe lacking some classic texture to match the overall look. The nice thing is it takes popular 20mm straps or bracelets. If you look at Escape Wheel’s review, he’ll do a strap show to give you ideas of what you can replace it with. I’m looking at a dark blue leather strap to match the blue of the hands and crown.

The movement is supposed to be a Seiko quartz movement, which adds to the hope that the watch will have a fair amount of lifetime. The shopping site says it’s a Y120 from Seiko. It doesn’t have a second hand, nor does it have a date. 

I’ve worn it about 4 or 5 times since I got it and this is the most fun I’ve had without spending a lot of money, and not needing to wear protection (hehehe). It’s also a great conversation piece, especially with women. My daughter had a business semi-formal affair at her internship and she asked to borrow it. Looked great on her, too!

CONCLUSION: I would look great in a real Cartier Tank. Maybe the Tank Must. So, this is my inspiration to buy Crypto, reap from its promised boom, and head to the AD soon after.