About this watch

Cartier Must Tank Vermeil Must De Cartier 1990s Case & Bracelet The case is in good vintage condition with light wear visible. On a vermeil Tank this is the assessment that matters most, because the case is sterling silver carrying 20 microns of 18 carat gold rather than solid metal, and it ages by thinning rather than by scratching. The two places the gold always goes first are the outer edges of the brancards, the parallel bars running the full height of the case, and the corners of the case back, both of which take the constant contact of a shirt cuff. On this example the gilding remains continuous across both, with no break through to the silver beneath. The marks present are superficial handling marks in the flat surfaces, of the kind that thirty years of ordinary wear will put on any small dress watch, and they read as age rather than damage. The case back retains its stamps, ARGENT, 925 and the plaque or G 20 microns mark, alongside the reference and serial. These are shallow punches by nature and are the first thing lost to overpolishing, so their presence is a useful indication that the case has not been worked hard in the past. The blue cabochon in the crown, synthetic…