Cartier tank Lemon FULL SET NEARLY UNWORN

Cartier Must de Tank “Lemon Dial” – Large Model – Full Set – 1986 – Virtually Unworn

There are watches that age with their owners — worn, enjoyed, and marked by time. And then there are watches like this: quietly resting in darkness, untouched, preserved. A Cartier Must de Tank from 1986, in the rarely seen lemon dial, Large model (23mm width), with a presence and completeness that sets it far apart from the norm.

This example shows virtually no signs of wear. It carries a safe-acquired patina — that soft, settled glow that forms not through contact with skin or air, but simply through the quiet passing of time in a closed environment. The gold vermeil remains rich and intact, the dial vibrant and clean, and the case edges sharp. Nothing has been polished or altered. It has simply waited.

Originally launched in the late 1970s, the Must de Tank line redefined Cartier’s offering for a new generation. Crafted in sterling silver and finished with gold vermeil, these watches brought the maison’s classic Tank silhouette to a broader audience. Among the various dial executions, the lemon dial stands as one of the most striking — produced in extremely small numbers and seldom seen today, especially in this larger format.

This 1986 example is accompanied by a complete original set:

• Cartier inner presentation box

• Outer cardboard box

• Original papers dated 1986

• Cartier booklet

• Matching Cartier hangtag

• Original Cartier strap

• Original Cartier buckle

To find a Must de Tank of this era in such untouched condition, with its entire set of accoutrements present and correct, is extraordinarily rare. Most have been separated from their paperwork and boxes over the decades, worn heavily, or lost to time. This is a watch for the collector who understands what preservation truly means — and what it will mean in the years to come.

A piece of Cartier history, kept intact for nearly four decades.