Hands-On review of the Cartier Mini Tank

Tiny watches have become ubiquitous within the collector community over the past couple of years. A wide breadth of social media content has led to a voracious appetite amongst collectors (old and new) for smaller, design-led watches. Celebrities have embraced the trend (see Timothée Chalamet wearing a ladies' Crash), and in turn have caused the wider world to pay attention to "men in small watches." Furthermore, the notion of gender at brands like Cartier and Audemars Piguet is no longer presented as a strict binary when it comes to new product releases. You could say that the watch world is loosening up a little.

Tank LC Mini and Tank Américaine Mini.

The new Mini Tank doesn't feel like a surprise because, well, it's pretty much bang on trend. That's not to say its size doesn't still beg for a reaction. The visual contrast of a watch this small on Ben Clymer's wrist resulted in every one of my colleagues in the room pausing the presentation to take phone snaps for personal social media coverage. And it's not too hard to figure out why. "I'm just looking for a new and different watch wearing experience," was Ben's concise response to my text asking him why he too seemed to have Tank Mini fever.

A bite-sized Tank is truly Art Deco in proportion. When I tried on the Mini it reminded me of a geometric Cartier watch from 1925 I once saw for sale at a vintage jewelry concession in Bergdorf Goodman. I tried on said watch, despite knowing it was not for me (I prefer not-so-subtle Serpentis over vintage cocktail watches) because it was elegant and the dimensions were a product of its period. It felt classic, not diminutive. The new Mini measures 24mm x 16.5mm, and comes on a deliciously shiny alligator leather black strap. The only real difference from a larger size modern LC is the lack of chemin-de-fer minutes track, replaced instead with a faint line so as not to busy the teeny tiny dial. This watch also feels classic rather than a meek miniature version of its larger predecessor.

I can admire a small watch, but it won't usually be the first thing I reach for in a preview appointment. In fact I often eye-roll at small watches – a knee-jerk reaction to the "make small watches great again" movement on Instagram. My excitement for the Tank Mini was therefore unexpected. To be clear, this is not mini in a "ladies'" watch kind of way, it's mini in a wear-what-you-like-who-cares kind of way. You could do a Ben Clymer and wear the watch (as pictured above) solo on the wrist and basque in the sheer contrast of a watch that small. Or you could go my route and mix it in with your jewelry stack, which is how I would wear any teeny quartz watch because I would feel exposed with it sitting solo on my naked left wrist. But each to their own Tank Mini styling preference.

The Mini is delicate, but not too precious. It's certainly stackable, but unlike the Baignoire bangle, which truly feels more jewelry-like to me, this is a watch with pre-existing chops that has been shrunken down according to the tastes of the moment. It's like a mini Hermès Kelly or a micro Chanel Classic Flap. Why make one or two sizes when you can make multiple and capitalize on the success of a trend, and all without having to create something entirely new? Downsizing your flagship model to such extreme proportions does mean a certain confidence in market trends. The Tank Mini is not an experiment. It's a response to an obvious demand. Perhaps the success of the Baignoire bangle, a front runner in the larger trend of undersized watches, was necessary for Cartier to feel confident enough to attempt the undersize theme within the Tank range?

Last year's Baignoire bangle release.

The Tank Mini is not technically new. They were introduced in the late '80s/early '90s, when Cartier was experiencing a similar wave of success, resulting in an expansion of the catalog. In theory the revamp of the Tank line over the past few years, which includes the Américaine, the Must and the Solar Beat, is the same attempt at giving everybody the Tank that they want in different styles, price ranges and sizes.

This is not a "ladies watch" this is a "Tiny Tank for all." The watch isn't being made as a weapon for divisive marketing. Cartier is making the product and leaving it up to us to decide who it works for. It's a silent push towards gender fluidity rather than a CMO fever dream campaign about unisex watches for all. And it feels earnest because it's not a small derivative of a Tank LC, it's a mini-sized Tank LC.

The Cartier Tank Mini LC measures 24mm x 16.5mm, is fitted with a quartz movement, and is water resistant up to 30 meters. Priced at $7,000, launching in September 2024. For more information on Cartier, click here.

Cartier