Cartier - Must de Cartier Tank Trinity Dial Ref.5057001

Cartier - Must de Cartier Tank Trinity Dial Ref.5057001

***More pictures soon***

Forty years of Cartier elegance — and it still turns heads.

The Must de Cartier Tank was Cartier's answer to a simple question: how do you make one of the most beautiful watch designs in history accessible without compromising what makes it special? The answer was Vermeil — 925 sterling silver with 20 microns of gold plating — and a quartz movement that kept the case slim and the lines pure. Launched in the 1970s and produced through the 1980s, the Must de Cartier became one of the defining watches of its era. The Tank silhouette, the Roman numerals, the blued steel hands, the distinctive cabochon crown — nothing about this design has dated, because nothing about it was ever really of its time.

This particular example carries the Trinity dial — three delicate colour bands that give the watch a warmth and playfulness that sets it apart from the standard Must. It dates to the 1980s, confirmed by its serial number, and presents in good condition with honest signs of age. The dark leather strap suits it well. It comes without box or papers, which keeps it genuinely accessible — this is a piece you wear, not store.

I found this one in a small gold dealer in Saint-Lunaire, a quiet village on the Breton coast where we holiday with the family every year. It was an instant match — the kind of find that makes you stop mid-browse. That feeling hasn't faded.

Why we selected it
The Must de Cartier Tank is one of the most elegant watches you can put on a wrist at this price point. Beautiful on a lady, equally at home on a slimmer male wrist, and genuinely versatile in a way few watches manage. An understated piece of French jewellery history — and still surprisingly affordable.