Les Must de Cartier

Les Must de Cartier, Everyone should have Cartier.
The collection Les Must de Cartier, With its provocative name meaning everyone should have Cartier, Truly succeeded in popularizing Cartier. In the 1970s, When the world was in economic recession and Cartier faced difficulties due to complex factors, This collection became its savior. To overcome the crisis, The Tank Must was introduced at a lower price, And the Tank Solo followed, Making them perfect entry-level options for Cartier.

The Beginning of Cartier's Popularization

The 1970s were a time of upheaval worldwide.
Two oil shocks threw many countries into chaos. Prices soared, Unemployment increased, And the era of the middle class began to fade.
Swiss watches faced significant challenges after the introduction of quartz wristwatches in 1969.
Cartier was being run independently by Louis, Pierre, And Jacques Cartier, Grandsons of Louis-François Cartier, Each establishing branches in Paris, New York, And London. They operated with their own styles suited to each region. However, In 1942, Louis Cartier, The pillar of Cartier, Passed away. After losing their guiding force and entering the economic hardships of the 1970s, Cartier could not avoid the waves of adversity.
Robert Hocq, Who founded Silver Match, The world's first gas lighter manufacturer, Obtained a license from Cartier Paris in 1968 to produce premium lighters. At the time, Cartier was not Robert Hocq's main interest, But realizing the history and potential of the "jeweler of kings, King of jewelers, " he sought to acquire the company. Before the 1970s, Cartier had already lost most of its major sales points except for Paris, Munich, Geneva, And Hong Kong.

Cartier in London, Paris, New York © Timefactors.com

New York and London, Managed by the grandsons of Louis-François Cartier, Were excluded from Cartier's portfolio. Robert Hocq, The young and talented Alain-Dominique Perrin he hired, And entrepreneur Joseph Kanoui, Who was responsible for finances, Joined forces to execute the acquisition of Cartier. They first acquired Cartier Paris in 1972, Then integrated Cartier London in 1974 and New York in 1976, Establishing Cartier International and laying the foundation for the jeweler of kings to make a comeback.

Les must de Cartier campaign ad started in 1973 © Cartier

Meanwhile, Alain-Dominique Perrin launched the Les Must de Cartier collection in 1973 to expand the customer base to the middle class and younger generations. This collection, Which included gas lighters and pens, Later expanded to Tank watches and new items such as perfumes and leather goods. The Les Must de Cartier collection, Featuring burgundy as its signature color, Spread worldwide and attracted a new generation of customers. Focusing on watches, The Must de Cartier collection became the Tank Must. As a new member of the Tank family, The Tank Must aimed to appeal to younger generations by reducing the price, Resulting in notable differences from the existing Tank Watch.

Tank Must

The Tank Must (1977) focused on lowering the price so that everyone could own a Cartier. As a company that started as a jeweler, Cartier had only used precious metals like gold or platinum for its watches, So suddenly using materials like stainless steel was a challenge.
Therefore, They chose a vermeil case, Which is a silver case plated with gold.

Must de Cartier released in 1977 © hodinkee.com

While mechanical movements were used, Quartz movements, Which were more affordable and easier to maintain, Were actively adopted. This was a reasonable attempt to attract new customers without undermining the status of the Tank Watch. The case design of the Tank Must is almost identical to the Tank Louis Cartier.
The shafts on both sides of the case have rounded ends and a curved cross-section. Overall, It has a soft and rounded feel, And from the side, It appears quite voluminous.

Les Must de Cartier Tank advert © watchrology.com

Another feature of the Tank Must in the 1970s was the bold removal of the railway minute track and Roman numeral indexes around the dial. The dial was filled with modern colors such as burgundy, The symbol of the Les Must de Cartier collection, As well as navy, Green, And black.

The Return of the Tank Must

The revived Tank Must in 2021 restored the look of the 1970s mentioned above, While choosing stainless steel as the main material instead of a vermeil case. It also inherited some elements from the soon-to-be-discontinued Tank Solo.

2021 Return of Tank Must (S, XL, L sizes)
© timeandtidewatches.com

Originally, The Tank Must did not have a bracelet version, But this was introduced from the Tank Solo. A bracelet was designed to match the curved Tank Must. The structure alternates between ingot-shaped links and H-shaped links, And like the case shafts, The links are also rounded.

2021 Tank Must © watchrology.com

Both the color dial without indexes and the dial with railway minute track and Roman numeral indexes coexist. The active use of quartz movements to lower the price remains the same as before.

Tank Must SM WSTA0042

29.5mm x 22mm, Silver

Tank Must LM WSTA0041

33.7mm x 25.5mm, Silver

Tank Must SM WSTA0051

29.5mm x 22mm, Silver

Tank Must XL WSTA0053

41mm x 31mm, Silver/Roman/Guilloché

Tank Solo

The Tank Solo, Introduced in 2004, Can be seen as inheriting the position of the Tank Must from the 1970s in terms of price. With the Tank Française, Launched in 1996, Adopting stainless steel as the basic material, It became easier to use stainless steel in Cartier watches.

Cartier Tank Solo vs Tank Must © drwatchstrap.com

As the Tank Solo aimed to popularize the Tank Watch, The stainless steel case became the mainstay. The silhouette of the Tank Solo is similar to the Tank Louis Cartier or Tank Must, But it is made flatter. The most prominent difference is the case design, Which appears to be thinly sliced horizontally along the shaft and case back.
This is even more noticeable in the bracelet version. The structure of alternating ingot and H-shaped links continued from the Tank Must, But the links are straight and the surface is satin-finished to emphasize the straight lines.
The edges of the links are left sharp, Perhaps to enhance the straight-line feel, And there is no additional finishing, So they appear sharp. This seems to be a way to reduce production costs.

Tank Solo Leopard © montro.com /
Tank solo Python © swisswatchexpo.com

The dial of the Tank Solo is based on the railway minute track and Roman numeral indexes, Which are the basics of the Tank Watch, But some models feature pop elements. There were unique details exclusive to the Tank Solo, Such as gradually enlarging Roman numeral indexes that seem to ignore legibility, Or versions with panther patterns or snake skin patterns.

Tank Solo SM W1018255

30mm x 23mm, Silver

Tank Solo SM W5200013

31mm x 24mm, Silver

Tank Solo LM W5200025

34.8mm x 27.4mm, Silver

The Tank Must and Tank Solo are similar yet different. Both aim to lower the price by using quartz movements. The former is characterized by curves, While the latter emphasizes straight lines. Therefore, It is best to choose according to your preference.

From April 2024, The VIVER showroom offers a try-on service for Cartier Tank, Panthère, And other models. If you are interested in Cartier watches, Please visit us.