Fratello’s Top 5 Current Cartier Models — Featuring The Tank Must, Tank Louis Cartier, Santos, And More

Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we decided to leave the affordable watches for a minute to focus on something else. This week’s Top 5 is a look at the five best watches in Cartier’s current catalog. The brand has a wide selection of classics that are widely loved by watch fans all over the globe. With a rather large regular collection of different models, the Privé collection, and the Fine Watchmaking collection, there is plenty to choose from. For this list, we selected five models from the regular collection that show the brilliance of Cartier watches perfectly.

Diving into the world of Cartier is an immersive experience, but that doesn’t necessarily make the brand easy to navigate. With 10 regular model lines for both men and women and the exclusive Privé and Fine Watchmaking collections on top of that, the world of Cartier can be overwhelming. But you’ll soon realize that it is overwhelmingly beautiful thanks to all the remarkable designs.

A Top 5 without the Privé collection

For this list, we have decided to select only regular models. While the Privé collection has its share of amazing timepieces, they are exclusive limited editions created for a select group of collectors. We wanted to focus on the models that most of us could get our hands on. But it would be silly not to mention some of the amazing creations that Cartier has released based on the classics from the archives.

The first one immediately comes to mind is the Cartier Privé Tank Normale in platinum on the bracelet. For me, it was one of the best watches of last year’s Watches and Wonders. The classic design on the beautiful bracelet, in combination with the understated finish, makes for a truly stunning piece.

The Privé collection is all about the great creativity that has always defined the brand to this day. Another great example is the limited Cloche de Cartier series from 2021. These watches, with their bell-shaped cases, show that a wristwatch could also serve as a stylish desk or nightstand clock by turning it 90 degrees. These are just two examples of what makes Cartier such a great brand, something we also see reflected in the regular collection, I might add. So, without further ado, these are our five picks of the best regular Cartier watches currently available.

Cartier Tank Louis Cartier WGTA0011

Kicking this list off with the Tank Louis Cartier only makes sense. It is the Tank of all Tanks that embodies that typical Cartier style in all its glory. This is the imprint that many people have in their minds when visualizing a Cartier watch. The Tank Louis Cartier, in the brand’s great tradition, is available in precious metals. Our favorite is the Tank LC Large with the silver dial with Roman numerals available in yellow gold and rose gold. The case of both watches measures 33.7mm from lug to lug and 25.5mm in diameter, but there is a difference in thickness.

Image: The Keystone

As some of you will know, the yellow gold version (WGTA0067) comes with a quartz movement and measures 6.3mm thick. The rose gold version that we picked (WGTA0011) is powered by the manual-winding caliber 1917 MC and is 6.6mm tall. Nevertheless, it would be great to see the yellow gold version with Roman numerals housing a mechanical movement as well. There is, however, a mechanical version of a yellow gold LC Tank.

It’s my favorite one, which features a black lacquered dial that only has the brand name on it and is combined with yellow gold hands. This stylish statement (WGTA0091) looks completely different from the regular models, but both are great examples of what makes the Tank Louis Cartier great. My favorite also comes in green and burgundy variants if black is too standard for you. The mechanical versions of the large Tank Louis Cartier are all available for €14,200 each, regardless of which one you pick.

Cartier Santos Large ref. WSSA0030 / WSSA0062

It would be easy to pick each model’s “standard” versions with the silvered dial and Roman numerals. But we took the liberty to mix things up here and there. We did that with our next pick, the Cartier Santos Large. Daan reviewed two new models that came out last year with blue and green gradient dials.

As a result of these different dials, both Santos models get an inherently different overall presence that we love. Both watches feature a case that measures 39.8mm in diameter, 47.5mm from lug to lug, and 9.38mm in thickness.

What immediately stands out is that the blue and green dials are pretty dark. Daan explained that a dark hue is created by manually applying a tinted layer of lacquer over the dial. The result is two dials with a certain mystique contrasted by the high-polished Roman numerals at each hour. While these can “disappear” into the dial in some lighting conditions, the contrasting white Super-LumiNova on the hands ensures good legibility all the time.

Inside these Santos models is the Cartier caliber 1847 MC. This automatic movement has 23 jewels and offers a 42-hour power reserve. One detail that I love about these pieces is the combination of finishes to create extra visual impact. Both these large Santos models (WSSA0030 and WSSA0062) have a price of €8,450. However, if you prefer yours a bit smaller, the same watch also comes in medium (WSSA0063 and WSSA0061) for €7,700.

Cartier Tank Must Large ref. WSTA0072

I already mentioned the black and gold Tank Louis Cartier that I adore. For the Cartier Tank Must, we picked a similar execution, but this one is in stainless steel. In 2021, Cartier surprised us all with a trio of colorful Tank Must models in red, blue, and green. I love that trio of watches, and especially in the marketing materials, they look absolutely stunning.

In 2022, Cartier followed that up with a black version of the Tank Must. It shows the brilliance of combining the stainless steel case with the minimalist black aesthetic, which works perfectly.

The stainless steel case measures 33.7mm long, 25.5mm wide, and 6.6mm thick. Inside it, you will find a quartz movement powering the watch. Regarding styling, the immediate thought is to pair the watch with a black leather strap. But as the late great George Cramer explained in his article about this watch, on the Tank stainless steel bracelet, it also looks rather stunning.

I think it might even take the win over the leather strap. But the best thing to do, of course, is get both and mix it up occasionally. The Cartier Tank Must in black (WSTA0072) is available on the leather strap for €3,800. What you get in return is one of the most stylish and timeless wristwatches around.

Cartier Tank Française Large ref. WSTA0067

A Cartier model that cannot be left out of this list is the Française, which was reintroduced 12 months ago. It was launched with Rami Malek and Catherine Deneuve as the faces of the new revamped version of this classic. We have picked the Large version in stainless steel, which has a 30.5 × 36.7 × 10.1mm case.

Please note that the watch in our images is an early press sample with printed numerals. However, for an extra touch of elegance, the production version (WSTA0067) now features high-polished Roman numerals on the silvered dial, contrasted by blued hands. As Lex explained, one of the standout features of the redesigned Tank Française is the brushed finish. Combined with a 22mm bracelet, it gives the watch a distinct presence. Cartier equips the large version of the Tank Française with the Sellita-based automatic caliber 1853 with a 38-hour power reserve. While the Tank Française might not be the first watch that many people think of, this modern revamp takes a special spot in the collection and costs €6,250.

Image: Mr Porter

Cartier Santos-Dumont Extra Large ref. WGSA0032

The line of Cartier watches that has impressed me the most over the last few years is the Santos-Dumont. We have seen quite a few stunning Santos-Dumont models, but most of them, unfortunately, were limited editions. The first that immediately comes to mind is the rose gold Santos Dumont with the lacquered case and bezel that was introduced in 2022. Daan actually reviewed the black lacquered model from that same series last year. Then, during Watches and Wonders last year, the brand released a limited series of Santos-Dumont XL versions with Roman numerals made out of minerals that looked equally stunning.

Image: Mr Porter

But as we stick to the non-limited models, our pick is the regular Santos-Dumont XL. It’s not a bad pick, either, but to keep things stylish, we picked the rose gold version with a beautiful brushed silver dial with black Roman numerals and blued hands. The 18K rose gold case measures 33.9mm wide, 46.6mm long, and only 7.5mm thick. This results in a rather substantial watch that is easy to wear thanks to its slim and slightly curved case profile.

Image: Mr Porter

Cartier equips the Santos-Dumont XL models with its manual-winding caliber 430 MC, based on the Piaget 430P. It operates at 21,600vph and has a 38-hour power reserve. The rose gold model (WGSA0032) is combined with a dark gray leather strap to make for a super stylish pick that could be yours for €18,300. If you or your wallet prefer the stainless steel option (WSSA0032), you will “only” have to pay €6,800. Either way, you can’t go wrong with the Cartier Santos-Dumont, making it the perfect watch to close out this Top 5.

Final thoughts

There you have it — a very small selection of the many Cartier models that are currently available. We could have picked the new Pasha, the Ballon Bleu, etc. We could have easily filled another list of five with equally stunning timepieces. But I would like to turn the question over to you. What are some of your favorite Cartier watches that are currently available? Let us know in the comments section, and we will see you again for a new list next week!