Cartier Tank Fran?aise 2023 Review

January 18, 2023

Cartier has updated the Tank Fran?aise. Introduced in 1996, the Fran?aise brought a metal bracelet to the Tank family. The Fran?aise soon spread far and wide, becoming one of Cartier's bestsellers. Sticking to the age-old adage about not fixing things that aren't broken, Cartier has left the Fran?aise largely unchanged over the past 20-plus years.? The new Cartier Tank Fran?aise in steel. Now, this revamped Tank Fran?aise lineup features a total of seven references: small and medium sizes in gold (with or without diamonds), and small, medium, and large cases in steel. The large steel case uses an automatic movement featuring a date window at three o'clock while the small and medium references all use a quartz movement. From a distance, the new Tank Fran?aise looks a lot like the old Tank Fran?aise, but Cartier has updated some of the watch's details to give it a more modern vibe: The case sizes are all a touch larger than the previous Fran?aise C to avoid statistical overload, I'll leave those specs for the bottom of this article.? The case and bracelet feature more brushed satin finishes, as opposed to the more polished surfaces traditional to the Fran?aise.? This satin finish is perhaps most noticeable on the end links, which have also been updated C?now, one large brushed end link connects the case to the bracelet (previously, three links did this work).? The crown has been integrated into the case, giving it a slightly sleeker profile. Finally, the gold models now feature a champagne dial, while their steel counterparts all feature silver. All of the small models have a sunray finish on the dial, while the medium and large steel models use a satin finish.? Numerals are applied on the dial instead of printed. What We Think It's nice to see Cartier updating the Fran?aise in a very Cartier way. That is to say: Lots of small changes that add up to a watch that's a little more modern. It's a formula that's now worked with standard production pieces like the Tank Must and limited editions like last year's Pebble.?Alone, none of the changes above are particularly interesting, but together they create a watch that seems a little more sleek, sporty, and contemporary. Listen, the Tank Fran?aise probably isn't the most exciting of Cartier models to hardcore horologists, and Cartier doesn't necessarily help that perception by only using an automatic movement in the large model in steel. But, the Fran?aise is the most popular Cartier watch this side of the Ballon Bleu because it's a beautiful Cartier design in an affordable package (at least, as far as Cartier goes), not because of any particular technical revolution. The natural conclusion to draw is that Cartier updated this watch to meet the supposed sporty and relaxed sensibilities of today's consumer, even if the brand has experienced a resurgence over the past few years mostly through its watches that are the exact opposite of such suppositions (small, precious metals, leather straps). Similarly, it's interesting C?from a business perspective, at least C?that Cartier brought a large, steel Fran?aise with an automatic movement to the catalog, even if the movement inside is Cartier's caliber 1853, a Sellita-based automatic with 38 hours of power reserve. At $5,500, it'll find plenty of competition C?both within Cartier's own catalog (like the Santos) and from other brands. But again, consumers C?and lots of them C?buy the Fran?aise for the design, not the movement. But only putting a mechanical movement in the large steel Fran?aise is the predictable choice. Maybe there's more to come in the next few years, but what if this small gold Fran?aise had a mechanical movement? Sure, it probably wouldn't make a lot of sense C from a business or really from any other perspective C?but that's the type of swing for the fences that would show Cartier at its best, as one of the only houses that stands at the intersection (and the pinnacle) of both jewelry and horology.? Still, most of the tweaks to the new Fran?aise seem like small improvements that will be appreciated on wrist more readily than in pictures, so I'm excited to get hands-on with the new Fran?aise soon. Stay tuned for a Hands-On of the new Tank Fran?aise in the coming weeks. The Basics Brand: CartierModel: Tank Fran?aise in three sizes: Small (S), Medium (M), Large (L):Reference Number: WJTA0039 (S with diamonds), WJTA0040 (M with diamonds), WGTA0114 (S gold), WGTA0113 (M gold), WSTA0065 (S steel), WSTA0074 (M steel), WSTA0067 (L steel)Diameter: 25.7 x 21.2mm (S); 32 x 27mm (M); 36.7 x 30.5mm (L)Thickness: 6.79mm (S); 7.08 (M); 10.12 (L)Case Material: Gold (with or without diamonds) or steelDial Color: Silver (steel); champagne (gold), with sunray finishIndexes: Roman numerals (silver Roman numerals on steel models)Water Resistance: 30mStrap/Bracelet: Gold or steel The Movement Caliber: Quartz, except for large steel model, which features an automatic Caliber 1853:Function: Hours, minutes, datePower Reserve: 37 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 28,800 beats per hour? Pricing & Availability Price: S Steel: $3,550M Steel: $4,450L Steel (automatic): $5,500S Gold: $20,000M: Gold: $23,700S Gold (w/ diamonds): $27,500M Gold (w/ diamonds): $29,300 Shop this story The Hodinkee Shop sells pre-owned Cartier watches; explore our collection?here. For more information about Cartier watches, visit their?website.