Cartier Tank Obus 1935-1940

Dear community,

I have just acquired very interesting vintage early Cartier Tank Obus with unique story.

Watch comes from a family of the original owner, who was based on the recollections of sellers' aunt, belonged to the Professor "HK" who was in 1941 sent to Paris on behalf of the German armaments industry. While in Paris, Mr. K negotiated with Swiss defense industry colleagues on joint projects in the field of air defense. As the war progressed, the office in Paris had to be closed. As a token of appreciation for the successful collaboration, the Swiss business partners presented him with the gold wristwatch.

All declared and signed by the seller who inherited the watch, including supporting documents and remarks from the watchmaker, who has worked on the watch in 1983.

I have learnt some basics regarding the history of collaboration between Cartier and JLC that started in the 20s and lasted fro many decades to come. Still there are many unknowns and doubts...

I would like to pursue my curiosity and ask you, experts on vintage Cartiers and JLC following questions, that could help me better understand what this wonderful piece of watch is all about:

1/ Could this particular piece come from Maison JLC entirely ( case, hands, dial, movement ) under the license of Cartier?

This watch is rather scarce because it has JLC caliber 404/407 mounted. All other known examples have either backwinding JLC movement or EWC movements. Serial number is 81002 that seem rather high for a watch that has proven history and dating to late 30s/early40s.

Watch case is made of 18k YG and has all appropriate hallmarks.

2/ Why the watch has "Sterile dial"?

I have read, that early Cartier watches doesn't have well elaborated dials. It is very uncommon, but I have found one Cartier Tank Obus with the sterile dial sold in auction at Antiquorum. This might also be the case.

Why would one reprint the dial in the very past and forgot to put the Cartier logo on it too? It most probably based on the images is a very old print.

3/ Crown, screws and bars made of non YG

It this just a design language, or is the crown, fixing screws and the bars just replacement? They look perfectly correct to me, equally patinated.

Last remarks. Watch has been sitting in the drawer since 1983, has been discovered just recently. Early Cartier watches were special orders, many of them unique and customized based on the preferences of the clientele. It is though very hard to find verified and legitimate information online of this exciting era when Cartier started to gain momentum and reputation.

Thank you all for your contribution and wish you a Happy Easter!

Luke

Images: Henry Metz

Based on my latest findings, it deals really with the rare Parisian made Tank Obus made by JLC, where the hallmark on the caseback EJ is abbreviation of Edmond Jaeger.

These JLC and non EWC propelled early Cartiers are scarce and hard to come by.

One similar Obus is now on sale at the Keystone, interestingly saying EWC in the description. Non existent picture of dial is making me hesitant and biased.

https://thekeystone.com/products/ca...ariant=46269229433071&country=US&currency=USD

...non existent
...non existent picture of the caliber of course...

Obviously I haven't mastered multi tasking yet, but I am on it 😀

Hi, I have a vintage obus with a similar Le Coultre movement but the dial has been refinished. Only difference is that it says unadjusted. If you found any more out I’d be interested in knowing.

The ‘TimeToWrite’ blog was able to lookup my movement serial number last night and said

“The movement was made in 1934 based on the movement serial number, so this is before the merger between Edmund Jaeger and the LeCoultre movement factory in 1937. Starting from that point most Cartier watches still used JLC movements but rebranded as European Watch Company.”

So I would think yours is also from pre 1937. It would then be in the pre WW2 nazi rise to power era.

The watch was purchased in Luebeck, Germany. I tend to agree that the story is rather vague, though it is worth considering the fact that the memoirs were provided by the aunt of the named engineer, an elderly lady, adds a lack of clarity and sentiment to the past times, lacking the important details.

I find the story compelling, and what confused me, but now adds up to the authenticity, is the anonymous dial as well as the overall narrative that it deals with the JLC watch and not a Cartier, that actually is. Still, there remains a thin layer of secrecy covering the known story.

In the meantime, I accidentally fell into the rabbit hole of Edmond Jaeger epocha when their Parisian jewellery artisans supplied unique designs to the best watch and haute jewellery brand in the 1930s - 1950s. Each day brings new revelations and fragments of the puzzling depiction of this barely known era of entangled collaborations of watchmakers and jewellers.