As a lover of Cartier watches, I feel the need to assist some folks who may be un peu confu. Don't know what that means?  It means "a little confused" and it points out the need for this little guide. Not all Cartier watch buyers speak French and it sometimes causes them to think things that aren't so.

The Cartier Tank watch is one of history's great timeless designs. You can read more about it on Cartier's web pages and in books, but chances are you might not read this information, because it does not necessarily concern current production watches.

Many of the genuine Cartier Tank watches retailed by Cartier Jewelers have movements that are not "signed" Cartier. This is because Cartier, like Tiffany and Bailey Banks & Biddle, is a jeweler, not a watch factory. They buy watch movements and put them into their own cases, or they contract to have the whole thing made up with their name on it. Over the years, the best known Cartier watches had movements by the European Watch and Clock company, but plenty of other movements have been used.  This means that one more or less constant design has had countless interpretations over the years, all of them "authentic".

Unfortunately, there have been plenty of other interpretations which have been less authentic. My best advice is to do three things:
1) If you must be sure, buy a new Cartier from an authorized dealer, or from one of the Cartier stores. You will receive all proper paperwork and you will never have reason to doubt.
2) If you are willing to learn as you go, buy the watch elsewhere, paying only what you can afford to lose, and then take it to someone you can trust who knows about watches.
3) If what you want most is the look of a Cartier, buy the nicest one you can on eBay and never worry whether or not it is authentic. You have a nice watch, don't let its past be the most important part of your enjoyment.

Having said all of that, what is the watch case that you are looking at made of? It is likely to be gold plated. Do you see the word "microns" anywhere in the description?  Microns are a very tiny measurement of thickness, in this case referring to how thickly gold plated the case is.  Many a seller will tell you that a watch is "18K gold" and then proudly quote that it is vermeil or "Plaque or". Vermeil is gold plate over sterling silver. The amount of silver in a watch case is about the same as in a Ben Franklin half dollar, maybe less. Plaque (pla-KAY) means plated. "Or" is the French word for gold. "Plaque Or" means "gold plate".

Au Pin D'or,  pronounced  "open door" means At the Golden Pine. Au Pin D'or is my favorite French Cafe, not too far from my office in Winnsboro, SC, or it was before they closed for Bastille Day. I think the celebration may have set back the reopening day by a little, but look for it if you are in town. I'll buy you a glass of wine.

Sorry, I lost track of time there for a moment.  The other word you may see misused in Cartier listings is "must" as in "Les Must de Cartier". As far as I know, this is Franglais and it was used to denote an "essential" Cartier product, i.e. a  product marketed  to the lower end of Cartier's clientele. When you see a watch that says "Les Must" on its face, you are buying the entry level model. Anyone who knows otherwise is urged to contact me.

If you are very lucky and manage to bid on a watch while the other nearly 200 million eBay users are at the beach or the mountains, you might get an actual solid gold Cartier  Tank watch for somewhere between one and two thousand dollars. Otherwise, the going rate seems to be closer to $2500.  If you see one for under a thousand, look for some of the key words from above, either in the descriptions or the photographs. Unless you see a picture of the watch case itself that says "18kt Solid Gold" or the seller specifically tells you "yes, it is Solid Gold" then you are probably looking at Ye Olde Electroplate.

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but have you looked at 18Kt Solid Gold Hamilton watches? You can get a very nice one for well under $1000 and it is  (or was) made in the good old U S of A. Sadly, Hamilton, an actual watch making company, has ceased to make their excellent watches of old, as have Elgin and Bulova. The names live on mostly on lesser quartz watches, but there are plenty of still-running-strong vintage mechanical examples around, either on eBay or in your grandfather's jewelry box.  Many of them are shaped a lot like the Cartier Tank. And plenty of them are solid gold.

But I come to praise Cartier, not to bury them.  The classic Tank, be it gold over silver, gold over brass, or just good old gold over gold, is an icon of jewelry and fashion and you will never have to apologize when you wear yours. Just be sure to wind it every day.

I hope this little guide has helped make you less Confu and that you will now do me the favor of giving me a "yes" vote for helpfulness. If you have a minute, why not see my other guides and reviews, on everything from being famous to little embroidery motifs on your britches.    

Thanks and Take Care,

Wentworth Tradd