An early-1990s Must de Cartier Tank Vermeil LM featuring the distinctive Tortoiseshell lacquer dial — one of the more visually striking and less commonly seen dial variations within the Must line. Powered by a manual-wind Cartier movement and housed in the larger LM vermeil case, this piece blends classic Tank proportions with warm, richly patterned dial tones that shift subtly under changing light.
Why It’s Special
The Tortoiseshell dial sits apart from traditional Roman numeral Must dials through its lacquered marbled finish and more jewellery-oriented aesthetic. These dials are particularly sensitive to age and often suffer from cracking or lacquer degradation over time, making clean examples increasingly difficult to find. This example retains a well-preserved dial with strong colour and no visible spidering under normal viewing, paired with a genuine Cartier lizard strap and buckle for a cohesive vintage presentation.
Condition
Tortoiseshell lacquer dial appears clean and well preserved with no visible cracking, spidering, or lacquer degradation under normal viewing. Printed “must de Cartier” signature and Cartier logo remain crisp and well defined. Gold-toned hands appear correct and period consistent. Mineral crystal shows light surface wear but remains clear overall. Vermeil case (sterling silver 925 with ≈ 20 µm gold plating) exhibits moderate wear with visible thinning and light plating loss across edges and high-contact areas consistent with age. Case proportions remain intact with no major deformation. Blue cabochon crown appears original and well preserved. Case-back engravings remain legible with expected wear. Fitted with a genuine Cartier brown lizard-pattern leather strap and Cartier buckle, both showing age-related wear but presenting well overall.
Performance: The watch is currently running and wearable, though timegrapher readings suggest a future service would be beneficial for optimal long-term performance.
Details
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Reference: Ref. 6
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Movement: Cartier manual wind
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Serial: 048606 (≈ 1991–1992)
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Case: 23 × 30 mm vermeil (sterling silver 925 with ≈ 20 µm gold plating)
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Crystal: Mineral glass
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Strap: Genuine Cartier brown lizard-pattern leather strap with Cartier buckle
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Inclusions: Watch only
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Provenance: Sourced from Japan and inspected in Melbourne
