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myaz

Cartier Tank Française: comparing ETA and quartz reps

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myaz

I initially got a Cartier Tank with a 2671-2 a while back but the movement had problems: it ran great if manually wound but the automatic part didn’t automate. Back to the TD it went, it's back but it still doesn’t do the automatic part well. Mind you, ETAs are supposed to be reliable movements, so go figure.

 

That’s when it occurred to me that my wife doesn’t care about movements, she just grabs a watch and asks me to set it if it’s not quartz. She really loves her J12. So it’s quartz all the way for her from now on and that’s how I came to get her a quartz from Mary and Rochest at Watchinternational. Plus you save money: $115 Vs $295…........you‘re welcome. :payup:

 

NOTE: for those concerned about how close it is to the gen, it's very close. Don’t sweat it.

 

-Consider as well that the 2013 Cartier website alone shows many iterations:

Tank Anglaise: 46 models, Tank Louis Cartier: 4 models, Tank Américaine: 27 models, Tank Française: 8 models, Tank Solo: 6 models. Hence don't sweat minor differences between gen and rep.

 

- 6 of the 8 tank Française models are quartz. AS EXPECTED, the quartz models do not have a tattletale seconds hand. Again don’t sweat the quartz giving it away.

 

-Tank Française quartz models come in small (25.3mmX20.3mmX5.9mm) or medium sizes (30.4mmX25mmX6.7mm) while automatics come in the large size (36.5mmX28X7.4mm). My reps are both about 33X28mm (the 33mm doesn’t include the 1st link that makes the watch appear longer). Therefore, don't sweat the size of the case.

 

-The date window, when included is both @3 and @6. @3 for quartz and @6 for automatics. All Tank Anglaise are @3 and all Tank Américaine are @6. Hence one more don’t sweat the date window position.

 

-The Cartier “security thread” name if present, sometimes is on the VII and at other times on the X hour markers. It’s On the VII of both my reps.

 

To illustrate:

Here are pics of gens.

Gen quartz with DW@3, name on X hour marker

genCartierTF5mediumq1_zps128b39b5.jpg

 

 

Gen quartz with DW@3, name on VII marker

genCartierTF11_zpscc8bbe41.jpg

 

Gen Automatic with DW@6

cartierAdw6_zps3316af78.jpg

 

 

Gen quartz with no name on hour markers.

genQDW3_zps8f985c48.jpg

 

 

Rep ETA and quartz

The DW placement on the quartz, bearing in mind that it should actually be @3 is closer to the gen than the ETA, it is too high on the ETA.

DSCF0246a_zps8eaeedad.jpg

 

Rep ETA on L, quartz on R. Note: gens also exhibit variations in the depth of the grooving on the dial.

DSCF0268_zps1a153ad5.jpg

 

DSCF0266_zps946c30da.jpg

 

DSCF0250a_zps8caaa600.jpg

 

I'm guessin' the quartz is on the left :sconey:

DSCF0295_zps216c578c.jpg

 

Automatic movement requires a thicker case: about 9mm VS 7mm.

MLTIMG001_zps62f79b08.jpg

 

DSCF0272a_zps665cea14.jpg

 

How the links work

DSCF0316_zps16707488.jpg

 

DSCF6362a.jpg

 

Bottom line, go quartz, Save the bucks if considering this for the wife or GF, might be a little small for some, but for either ETA or quartz, both super reps to me.

Thanks for reading.

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PeterPotamus

thanks for sharing

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BentleySharp

Wow. I'm surprised at how much better the quality of...well everything, on the quartz as compared to the ETA. I would have thought that if anything, more time and effort would have gone into the production of the ETA model.

A note on the "Cartier security script": It is probably located on VII on the rep tanks because that is where Cartier has it located on their Gen Ballon Bleu and other circular men's Cartier watches (yes, the Tank is considered a Man's watch, Originally having the very first one presented to, I believe, General Pershing, In 1918, towards the end of World War One.)

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Mechwarrior

Both nice

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myaz

Wow. I'm surprised at how much better the quality of...well everything, on the quartz as compared to the ETA. I would have thought that if anything, more time and effort would have gone into the production of the ETA model.

A note on the "Cartier security script": It is probably located on VII on the rep tanks because that is where Cartier has it located on their Gen Ballon Bleu and other circular men's Cartier watches (yes, the Tank is considered a Man's watch, Originally having the very first one presented to, I believe, General Pershing, In 1918, towards the end of World War One.)

Nice observation.

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