18K Gold Cartier Tank Louis 78086 Watch Circa 1980’s

This is a classic 18k gold Cartier tank watch circa the 1980’s. A dream watch for many people, it has the iconic design and beautiful tank format, with Roman numerals, Cartier written on the dial, and a sapphire crown. The band is a Sahara genuine crocodile leather in a pretty mahogany brown, made in France. The watch has recently been serviced and keeps great time. It is a manual wind. Owning a mechanical watch means owning one of the tiniest precision-made instruments that exists—and Cartier is known for the excellence of their mechanical watches.

The dial is in great condition and the crystal is free from scratches. The back of the watch has minimal age-appropriate wear.  Because of its age, it is not water resistant, as water resistant gaskets were not around yet in the 1980’s; don’t wear while showering or swimming! The band is a high-quality replacement, with a clasp that’s design is influenced by the original shape of a Cartier clasp.

The face of the watch measures 30 x 23.5 mm (or 27 mm wide with the crown). The band is 8.5” long from top to bottom and 11/16” wide. It fits a 6 - 7.25” wrist. The watch weighs 27.81 grams. It is marked on the back as Cartier, 18k gold, and Swiss. In addition to the model number 78086, it has the serial number, which we’ve blurred out in the picture to protect the watch’s identity. The band is marked Sahara, TM, 18, genuine crocodile, and Made in France.

Watches are back in style, and this is an ideal unisex watch that looks sophisticated on anyone. The Tank Louis Cartier watch was designed by Louis Cartier himself in 1917.