The name Cartier needs no introduction. As one of the most influential and celebrated jewelry and watch brands of the last 100 years, it has always stood as a mark of luxury and desirability. Without taking away from its historical significance, I would say that when it comes to watches, Cartier has always been predominantly known as a ‘design’ brand rather than a pure watchmaking one, with stunningly iconic models such as the Tank, the Crash, and the Santos all seen as important due to how it looks. In fact, to this day, it is the beautiful and unconventional designs that attract collectors and it is a unique position in the watch brand hierarchy that no other possesses.
An incredibly iconic timepiece, the Cartier Tank is one of the most easily recognizable timepieces that is produced today. With its signature rectangle-shaped case, thin profile, and elegant dial, it is as classical a timepiece today as when it was released in 1917. Inspired by the Renault FT-17 Tank, the Cartier Tank is, somewhat paradoxically, a dress watch. Remarkably over the century, the Tank model has been reborn into many variants, all with different forms while still managing to maintain its DNA.
The Tank Basculante, which made its debut in 1933, was influenced by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, a dual-sided sports watch that could pivot inside its case to safeguard its dial. Similar to the Reverso, the Basculante rotated within its case to protect its dial. However, instead of pivoting on its horizontal axis, it rotated on its vertical axis, enabling it to stand upright halfway through its rotation and function as a table clock. The central jewel of the watch was used elegantly to accomplish all of this, with the user flipping it open with their nail.
With a desire to release a model that spoke to the original Tank Basculante's heritage, Cartier released the Ref. 2390 in the early 1990s with some modern touch-ups and other period-correct details. A stunning piece of horology, the Tank Basculante has developed its own cult following thanks to its quirky design and unique position within the Tank collection.
Featuring a 26mm x 38mm stainless steel rectangular case, the Ref. 2390 is slim on the wrist thanks to its modest 26mm width and integrated crown at 12 o'clock, but it carries a satisfactory presence on the wrist due to its lug-to-lug measurement. Aiding that wrist presence is the Ref. 2390's stunning silver dial, adorned with guilloche engravings, black Roman numerals, and blued steel hands – all signature design elements for the iconic French jeweler.
While there have been many iterations of the Basculante since the ’90s, the Ref. 2390 has always stood out as the reference to collect due to its high-quality mechanical movement. Many Basculantes were quartz-powered as they were mostly produced towards the tail-end of the Quartz Crisis.
Powered by the 2mm thick Piguet-derived Cartier Cal. 050 MC, the Ref. 2390 is manually wound, just like its ancestor, and comes in with a staggeringly thin 5.8mm case profile as a result. A delight to wear, filled with genuine heritage and intrigue, the Tank Basculante Ref. 2390 is well-deserving of the adoration it has received in recent years.
